Unexpected Destiny
by Celestial Rage
Summary: A girl is suddenly transported to Final Fantasy VIII world. And she has the chance to gain the heart of the man she loves. Please, review! And finally another chapter has been completed. *sighs*
1. Chapter 1 Dreaming of you

_Hi!! Uhm... I´m new in this kind of stuff, I mean I like reading fanfics, but writing one... well it´s a whole different thing. Sorry if my English is not perfect, but it´s not my mother-tongue, so if you find any grammatical or vocabulary mistakes, please let me know, that way I can improve my English and you will enjoy a less mistaked story._

_I would really appreciate if you would review, especially if the critics are constructive._

_Hope you like it!!_

_Disclaimer: Okay,we all know how it works, but: I don´t own any of the characters, places, and other stuff of Final Fantasy VIII... yet._

**Unexpected Destiny **

**Chapter 1: Dreaming of you**

By CelestialRage

_Damn! My head really hurts... _

_I can´t open my eyes... _

_Am I dead?_

_I´m numb, can´t feel anything at all..._

_What happened to me?_

ooo ooo

_Another boring day out of my boring life. _

_Attending classes at high school is not what I would call exciting, unless of course if you have a very important exam, and you haven´t studied at all... but that´s not the case._

_At least not today._

Sighing, she raised her head, shifting her attention from her lap, where the notebook she used as diary rested, to gaze at her surroundings. From her position in one of the small tables located just between the basketball court and the main building, Rossane Bennett glanced leisurely at the numerous teenagers roaming around the place.

God, she was bored outta her mind!

Having just finished the few math excercises she´d missed yesterday (and was about to deliver as soon as the break concluded), the raven-haired found herself with nothing more to do. Usually that led her to either write her thoughts inside the precious notebook held on her thighs or doodling random things, most of which casually ended in a rather poor portrait of a young man dressed with a white fur-lined collar, black jacket.

Resting her left elbow on the table, the raven haired settled her chin on her hand´s palm as she returned her dark chocolate eyes to the notebook in front of her. Glancing at the half-written page, her pen made its way towards the right corner in order to shade what she considered was the best drawing of Squall Leonhart she´d made so far.

Though to the critic eye, it needed serious improvement.

"I tell ya, it´s not that hard."

Hearing a voice she knew too well, her gaze left the semi-shaded doodle in order to scan the corner leading to the cafeteria, her bored expression turning brighter as she spotted a pair of familiar frames: a tall, skinny boy with auburn hair and a slim, medium sized brunette.

"Hey, Rosie!" What´cha doing?" asked the boy, taking a seat at her side. Noticing the notebook, he grinned "Still, dreaming about meeting _him_ someday?"

Smiling, she closed the notebook, a light shade of pink coloring her cheeks. "Well, I can dream, right?"

"Yeah, but try with something real... like me" He said smiling and placing an arm around her shoulders.

"Not even in your dreams, Al" Rosie said as she shoved his arm away.

"Why do you like him, anyway?" asked the other girl, rasing an eyebrow in clear disapproval "You know he isn´t real, it´s just a videogame character."

Rosie shrugged as a slight pink hue tinted her cheeks "I know that. It´s just... well... I just like him. Not just his phisique - which is splendid, by the way - but, everything he is: the way he thinks and acts. He is so caring, and kind but he hides it behind his cold behaviour..." her voice faltered there, she couldn´t describe what a wonderful person he was. They couldn´t understand her...

In fact, no one could.

The truth was, Rosie had fallen for him, even when _he_ wasn´t real.

"Hmm, you describe him as though you have known him for a long time..." muttered Al, frowning slightly. He didn´t like the way Rosie talked about _him_. Squall Leonhart had become a _presence_ that stood between him and his years-old friend. A man Al couldn´t compete with, for how could anyone contend with someone that´s not even real? Someone that only existed in a fantasy world?

"Well, I think she has." replied the brunette smiling "How long have you been playing that game anyway?"

"I´ve played it whole around 3 or 4 times... only, Mary" Rosie giggled nervously before bitting her lower lip in shame. "I really need to get out a little more."

"On that, we can agree, darling" Mary said as she opened a bag of chips. Deciding to change the topic for something more important, she made a pause before asking "So, what are we going to do tomorrow?"

Al smiled "Well, how ´bout we go to the movies? I want to see _The Perfume_"

Rosie´s dark eyes widened in surprise. Hell, for all she knew, the guy was only into either action or XXX movies...

Seemed there was a side of her friend she hadn´t seen before.

"Al, I didn´t know you were into that kind of movies!" exclaimed Mary, her voice showing the raven-haired wasn´t the only one surprised at the boy´s statement.

"Of course I am. Some pals told me there were lots of cute naked girls!" he said as he cast a sly grin at his companions.

... Okay, maybe there wasn´t such a side.

"Figures..." Rosie rolled her eyes "I think I gave you too much credit, my mistake" She put her notebook inside her bag and looking at her watch, raised. Just one more class to go and she was home free. "Well guys, whatever you decide is cool with me, just give me a call today around 8, ok? I have to go, but I´ll see you tomorrow."

Mary smiled and nodded "Ok, take care." Her tone became mock-serious as she pointed an accusatory finger in the raven-haired´s direction "And don´t just feign you listen to your teacher. Use that notebook for something else than making 'Squally-doodles'."

Rosie smiled and rolled her eyes "I will, mom."

"I can walk you home, if you want to" Al said as he raised to meet her level. He was taller than Rosie by a couple of inches, being her 5´6", slender, jet black hair and light cinammon-tanned skin. But what he liked the more about her, was her eyes: brown orbs were able to pierce you with their gaze.

And right now, he was completely lost in them. "Come on, what´cha say?"

The raven-haired shook her head "Don´t worry about me. I´ll be alright" she smiled and took a step back "But thanks, anyway. I´ll see you tomorrow." Without another word, she quickly placed as much distance as she could between the auburn-haired boy and herself.

Rosie knew what Al felt for her, but she couldn´t reciprocate the feeling. The three of them had been good friends since her family had moved to the house next to his 10 years ago. They had practically grown together, thus she cared for him like a brother.

But lately, he´d given her more and more hints that he wanted to be more than just good friends with her. It was an awkward and saddening situation because the least Rosie wanted was to hurt Al´s feelings... but – by no means – could she see him like anything else than one of her dearest friends.

That´s why the raven-haired had decided to put some distance between them, so he wouldn´t get his expectancies too high.

As he watched her go, Al couldn´t help but think that maybe he had already lost Rosie... and the worst part was, his rival wasn´t even real.

"Hey, don´t give up" the auburn-haired boy turned to see Mary at his side. The brunette smiled widely while giving her distraught friend a light hug "Someday she´ll see what you´re worth, and the two of you will live happily ever after."

ooo ooo

"And they lived happily ever after..." Rosie sighed as she looked at the screen which displayed the last FMV sequence of Final Fantasy VIII. She turned off the console just before Squall kissed Rinoa.

That was a sight she still had trouble stomaching...

"Damn! I wished I was _her_. Just to be with him... to feel him by my side... to smell his cologne, and gaze into his eyes."

Dropping backwards from her sitting position on the bed, Rosie stared at the white ceiling. The low music in the background didn´t register in her mind as this wandered through the same scenarios she´d imagined time and again. Closing her eyes, she could feel the familiar ache again. A tear rolled down her cheek as her heart burned in her chest.

_Why? _

_Why do I feel this? _

_He is not even real, but... I can´t help it..._

A sudden knock on her door made her nearly jump out of her skin. Drying her tears with the back of her hand, she sat up once more and as calmly as possible said "Come in, it´s open".

A slender, raven-haired woman opened the door and smiled gently at her. Glancing at the 40 year-old woman, Rosie couldn´t help but hope again that she was able to age as well as her mother.

"Hey, sweetie! Supper is ready, come down and have some. You haven´t eaten anything since this morning."

Shaking her head slightly, Rosie returned her mother´s smile "Thanks, mom. But I´m not hungry." Slidding off the bed to sit on the floor where her bag was, she unzipped it and retrieved her math notebook "Besides, I´ve got lots of homework to do."

"Honey, you have to eat something." She watched her daughter with concern. Rosie hadn´t been eating well lately, and she was worried about her health. Walking towards the bed, the older woman took a seat next to her daughter and offering her best smile, said "Look, I´ll bring you a sandwich, that way you won´t have to stop working and you can eat. How does that sound?"

Knowing arguing with her mother was a losing battle – since Mrs. Elizabeth Bennett would eventually get her way with her charming smiles and logical arguments (not minding to add a little guilty trip once in a while) – Rosie nodded "Sounds great, mom. Thanks."

"Good, I´ll be right back." Kissing her daughter on the forehead, the older woman stood from the comfortable mattress and started her way towards the door.

After her mother had left the room, Rosie sighed and went about her homework.

Frowning at the excercises her - very pregnant and therefore, moody - calculus teacher had given them, the raven-haired tossed the notebook aside, deciding to start with a less irritating subject: history. She´d always liked to know about ancient civilizations such as Rome, Egypt or Grece, always wondering how they managed to build their large temples and monuments without the aid of heavy machinery.

A thunder boomed in the distance, breaking her reverie briefly as she glanced at the already clustering dark clouds through the nearby window.

Seemed a hell of a storm was coming...

ooo ooo

A couple of sandwiches and hours later, Rosie had – incredibly enough – finished her calculus homework and was now moving towards chemistry, when the phone rang. Blessing the interruption, the raven-haired rolled on her bed to grab the inalambric device.

"Hello?"

"_Hey, little darling! How are you doing on this rainy night?"_

She rolled her eyes "Hi, Al. I´m fine... doing some homework, though."

"_That sucks."_

"Yeah, kind of does. Anyway, what can I do for you?"

"_Many things, darling"_ He said seductively

She sneered "Cut it out. It´s getting really anoying, you know?"

"_Sorry... I was trying to joke, guess you´re not in the mood."_

Rosie sighed, instantly regreting her outburst at his hurt voice. She had been rude to him lately, especially when he acted like...

Irvine.

She couldn´t help but giggle at the comparison.

"_What? What´s so funny?"_

"Sorry, I..." _Quick think of something! _"... guess I left that statement too open-ended." _Yeah, that should do._

"_Yeah, you did..."_ a beeping noise interrupted their conversation _"Damn! The battery of my phone is getting low, I´ll call you later, ok?_

"Ok, later then."

Hanging up, she sighed again.

_Irvine... Al sure acts like him sometimes. I guess that´s one of the things that makes me feel like I know the cast of that game. _

_Coming to think of it, Mary acts a lot like Quistis too. I wonder who gives the worst lectures?_

Rosie giggled and looked at her console. She still had some homework to do, but... what the hell! Sliding off the bed, she opened her PS and retrieved her Disc 4 from Final Fantasy VIII, before placing Disc 1 inside.

Her favorite part had always been the beginning of the game: Balamb Garden, and all its educational system. She really liked it and always imagined how her life would be if she were attending classes at Garden instead of that boring highschool.

"Here we go... again!" She held the control pad and selected New Game, then the intro FMV started to play.

Suddenly, she was blinded by a powerful light and felt her body tremble with a jolt of electricity. The pain was sharp and quickly extending through her body. A loud sound boomed somewhere in the background, but she was growing number by the second to accurately pin-point it´s source.

Then darkness...

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note: _

_Well, what do you think? _

_As you may have realised, I rewrote this and the next 5 chapters, adding more detail and a little background info (it was not much, so don´t get excited :D) _

_Anyway, thanks for reading the first chapter. Hope you enjoyed it and please, stick around._

_Reviews are always welcome!!_


	2. Chapter 2 New grounds

_Disclaimer: Here we go again: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII... but I´m planning on to._

**Unexpected Destiny **

**Chapter 2: New grounds**

By CelestialRage

She couldn´t move.

Not even her eyelids responded.

_Surely I´m dead... I´m so numb, can´t feel anything at all..._

But what had happened? Last thing she could remember was a light and pain... yeah, the pain was terrible...

_At least, it´s over now._

Suddenly a sharp, melodious cry made her focus move from her seemingly paralized body to the abrupt noise. Though the sound wasn´t like the ones she´d grown used to, Rosie could clearly tell it was the cry of a bird...

She had heard it!

_Then maybe I´m not dead... _

_... Or maybe I did die and now I´m in Paradise._

_No, no, Rosie. __You weren´t good enough to gain a first class one-way ticket to Paradise, so don´t even think about it. _

She tried to open her eyes again, and this time she was able to do it... a little. But at least, it was something.

The raven-haired couldn´t make a lot of her surroundings from her laying position, but she did see a thick carpet of greenery, which she gradually recognized as grass. The numbness in her body was slightly receding and she could start to actually feel the lean, large leaves against her face and unfortunately her nose.

"AAAchooo!!"

_Damn! It tickles!! I have to roll over myself._

She tried to move, but found she couldn´t even lift a finger. Although her senses had mostly returned, the raven-haired still lacked strength. Groaning at her overly frustrating weakened state, Rosie frowned when she realised she´d have to wait until she had gained enough energy to move in order to stop the annoying tickling in her nose.

_I hate to wait... but I guess it can´t b... b... e..._

"AAACHOOOO!!"

_... helped._

After a couple of minutes (that felt like an eternity to her), Rosie was able to clumsily move and lie face up. The sun bathed her with it´s warmth and she could breathe the fresh air all around her. The random cries of the wild birds she´d heard before mixed with a low humming that she couldn´t quite recognize, the sound reminding her of an over-sized fan. The gentle breeze caressing her face carried a slightly salty scent that made the raven-haired smile. She hadn´t enjoyed that smell since the last time she´d gone on vacation to one of the numerous beaches of her country.

Shielding her still unfocused and aching eyes from the sun with a slender hand, she moved her head to the left, making out what appeared to be a large forest in the distance, the dark green of the trees´ tops contrasting beautifully with the lighter shade of the fields and the intense blue of the unclouded sky.

_Where am I? I really don´t remember a forest near my house..._

Finally, she had gained enough strengh to slowly sit up and look around her. Indeed, she had seen a forest, and green plains. But from her new point of view, she was also able to see sand and water.

Her eyes narrowed in half-confusion, half-fear when she glanced at the calm, turquoise surface glinting like a thousand diamonds in the bright sunlight.

_A beach!!_ _But how is this possible?!_

Her attention was caught by a flock of white birds that suddenly abandoned their shelter in the thick green foliage of a nearby tree. A rain of feathers enveloped her as they flew by and Rosie couldn´t help but follow their graceful movements through the sky. Resting on the balls of her hands, the raven-haired turned slowly, the small smile that the beautiful show had incited died in her lips at the sight before her.

Her eyes had to be betraying her!! There was no other possible _rational _explanation.

_It __**must**__ be my imagination... finally I´ve gone mad!!_

For before her widened eyes, lay magestically Balamb Garden.

The huge blue building shined like a sea stone in the warm, morning light. Its golden ring rotated slowly, the sound that had previously reminded Rosie of a huge fan turning out to be the low humming the glowing circle made as it moved around the tip of the large, azure structure. Even from her distance, she was able to distinguish extravagant forms and drawings that complemented the intricate design of the SeeD facility.

The raven-haired was overwhelmed by the inmense beauty that loomed before her. Never in her whole life had she ever seen such a magnificent piece of engineering.

Truly, whoever designed Garden was a genius.

On instict alone, Rosie stood up, only to fall flat on her knees. Although her limbs weren´t as weak as they had been mere minutes before, the raven-haired figured the shock didn´t helped her to stand either. Thus, she remained kneeled there for a seemingly eternity, even to the point an outsider would have believed she was rooted to the place. Her eyes feasted on the beauty of the building in front of her, while her mind was already wandering in memories of its halls, fountains, classrooms and students...

When a familiar face flashed in her mind at the last part of her mental journey, Rosie jumped as though she had sat on something hot. Her entire attention focused in a single idea...

If this truly was Balamb Garden, then maybe _he_ was here.

_Squall..._

Her heart raced at the mere thought of the brunet. If the overly improbable scenario was indeed as true as it seemed, then she had to try and find him!

She´ll be damned if she let this one-lifetime chance slip pass her fingers.

Following this primal idea, the raven-haired forced herself to stand up. Her legs felt like jelly and she actually fell twice before managing a first step. Once partially steadied on still wobbly feet, Rosie scrambled her way towards Garden.

The grass around her was taller in certain areas, which she wisely decided to avoid, remembering the monsters that plagued the small island and figuring Bite Bugs and Caterpillars would find the greenery quite cosy. Not to mention, that being a normal teenager walking alone and unarmed through the area, really wasn´t a good idea...

Especially if ending as the monster´s population main course was the furthest thing in your mind.

Fortunatelly for her, the blue building wasn´t far and once she laid foot on the main road, she felt slightly less apprehensive. As her steps carried her closer to the facility´s entrance, Rosie could make out the impressive gargoyles linning the main gate, keeping constant watch on whoever trespassed the treshold. Further down the building´s corner, stood what the raven-haired had seen to be the entrance to the parking lot area, the tunnel seeming wider than she remembered from the game.

Finally reaching the main gate, Rosie noticed a small group of students which seemed to be waiting for someone. She decided to walk cassualy along them and enter Garden unnoticed, but was intercepted by a tiny, slender girl dressed in a grey uniform that resembled Balamb Garden´s blue and silver one. Her shiny, short, brunette hair was curled in the ends and contrasted beautifully with the green eyes shinning like two emeralds attached to a face that was undeniably cute. Rosie recognized her immediately.

_Selphie!! Oh, god!! This has to be a dream!!_

Oblivious to the raven-haired´s overly bewildered state, the brunette smiled widely. "Hi, my name´s Selphie Tilmitt. Are you a student here at Balamb Garden?"

Rosie stood dumbfounded and completely devoid of words due to the shock, her dark eyes still fixed in the familiar – yet totally strange – face of the tiny cadet. She was so confused! What was she supposed to say to someone she knew quite well and yet hadn´t seen in her entire life?

Selphie tilted her head to the side, curiously looking at the girl in front of her. When the raven-haired didn´t move nor utter a single sound, the brunette waved her hand just before the other´s dark eyes "Hey, are you alive in there?" the casual tone the tiny cadet used gained giggles from the other students at the gate.

Ashamed, Rosie finally recovered from her daze and managed to say "Yeah, sorry... I was thinking about something else, so I didn´t pay attention to you. What was that again?"

Selphie smirked "Yeah, I kind of noticed. Anyway, my name´s Selphie Tilmitt and I was wondering if you are a student of this Garden?"

"I´m Rossane Bennett, but everyone calls me Rosie." She extended a hand, which the brunette happily accepted "Nice to meet you, Selphie"

"Nice to meet you too, Rosie."

The raven-haired bit her lip briefly, tilting her head to the side "And... uhm... I´m not a student of this Garden... yet."

Selphie´s eyes widened "Oh! So you are an exchange student too?!"

"A... Yeah! I am" said the raven-haired smiling nervously.

_I arrived just five minutes ago, and I´ve already got into trouble. _

_Me and my big mouth!!_

The brunette´s smile widened "Cool! I don´t remember seeing you at Trabia Garden, so you must be from Galbadia, right?"

Rosie nodded and shrugged "Yeah, I.. ah... wanted a change, so I asked my transfer to Balamb."

Selphie took a seat on what appeared to be her luggage. "I see. I asked my transfer because you can´t graduate if you don´t take the Field Exam, and there´s no such in Trabia. By the way, are you going to take the SeeD Field Exam today?"

"Well, I..." Rosie´s reply was suddenly interrupted when a Garden Faculty member approached the group of students. All chater and laughter died instantly, every student standing in attention. Selphie had raised from her makeshift seat and stood silently beside the raven-haired, who tried her best to imitate the other teenagers.

"Good morning, cadets. If you please follow me, I´ll show you to your quarters." This said, the faculty member turned around and all the students gathered their belongings and started after him.

Selphie turned to look at the raven-haired girl, noticing she didn´t carry any luggage Raising a thin eyebrow in surprise, the brunette asked "Hey, where are your things?"

Rosie´s heart gave a somersault. Her brain raced with possible escape routes, bolting from the place not the last of them. Sadly, given her present stunned state, the raven-haired highly doubted that plan would have actually been physically possible even if she´d wanted to.

"I... uhm... well, they lost my luggage at the train station." She cringed inwardly at her reply.

_Crap! _

_Couldn´t you elaborate a more convincing lie, Rosie?_

To her surprise, the brunette smiled knowingly "Figures. Those guys would lost their heads if they weren´t attached to their necks. Don´t worry, I´m sure you´ll have them back in a couple of days."

"Yeah, I hope so. Thanks, Selphie." when the other girl turned around, Rosie couldn´t help the relieved smile on her face.

_I can´t believe how lucky I am!_

They followed the group of exchange students and entered Balamb Garden´s main hall. The raven-haired was completely amazed by the immense space and rich decorating of the interior. The ceiling´s lights reflected golden beams on the round fountain´s surface as well as on the marble fish-like statues lining its rim. Just in the middle of the chamber, stood a high and equally decorated pillar that served as the elevator´s shaft, the only mean of transportation to the upper levels.

Although Rosie was familiar with the general structure of the SeeD Academy, she couldn´t help but be completely amazed by the undescribable textures and colors her eyes were feasting on. Pixels would never make justice to Balamb Garden´s beauty, no mattering how detailed they could be.

Her dark eyes shifted from the marvelous structure to its inhabitants. Several teenagers moved around the facility in a blue and silver blur, most of them attired in their uniform, while others wore light clothes as Balamb´s climate wouldn´t allow something warmer. There were students everywhere: walking down the halls towards the different areas of Garden, chatting in the main lobby, and boarding the elevator. The sounds of their laughter mixed with the great variety of footsteps, created a lively cacophony that made Rosie smile. Balamb sure was busy, like any other school... though the subjects that were taught here were quite different to what she was used to.

_As well as the teachers_. Thought the raven-haired as her eyes settled on a male SeeD moving through the crowd. Definitely none of her teachers had a physique like that... or walked around in a black and blue uniform with a saber-like sword sheated at his side.

"WOOOW!! This place is sooo cool!!" Selphie squealed, breaking Rosie´s reverie.

"Yeah, it´s amazing." whispered the raven-haired. Her gaze wandered through the lobby again and came to a halt when she reached the hall leading to the infirmary.

Then she froze.

Her heart raced as though it was about to explode. Heat ran through her veins like hot lava and a warm sensation filled her entire being. She couldn´t look away.

Nor did she wanted to.

For before her was _him_, the one who plagued her thoughts and dreams.

"Squall..." his name barely left her lips.

"What did you say?" Selphie turned towards Rosie only to find her staring mutely ahead. She turned to see the source of her companion´s shock and saw two figures at the distance. A blonde young woman wearing the typical dark SeeD uniform, slender and almost as tall as her partner: a man about her age, with dark brown hair and dressed in black leather. What drew more Selphie´s attention was the white fur-lined collar of his jacket and the scar on his face, just between his eyes.

She returned her gaze to Rosie and was amused to see her newest friend still staring at him. The raven-haired had a dreamy smile on her face and Selphie giggled at how cute – and incredibly obvious – she looked, standing there gazing entraced at a complete stranger. She decided to break Rosie from her silent reverie so that they could continue their travel towards the dorms.

"Hey Rosie, you still with me?" Selphie said as she shook the other girl´s arm not too gently.

Waking from her daydream, Rosie turned towards the brunette. "Oh! Sorry, what were you saying?"

"You sure were lost in there!" Selphie giggled making the raven-haired blush furiously.

Rosie frowned, the heat in her face increasing as she couldn´t come with another reply than a childish "I was not"

"Yeah, sure. You were even more lost than a Grendel in a Chocobo Forest." Selphie laughed again at the raven-haired´s dismayed look. After finally managing to settle her laughter a little, the brunette shook her head and offered the other girl a sympathetic smile "It´s okay, I was just saying we should hurry, the others have already left us behind."

After receiving a nod fro her friend, the tiny cadet´s eyes wandered through the hall, stopping at the nearing figures she´d noticed earlier. "Look! He´s coming this way!! You should really go talk to him!"

Nervously, Rosie shook her head "I... ah... I don´t think that´s a good idea..."

"Come on! Why not?" insisted Selphie excitedly.

_Because I need to think of something to tell him. I don´t want to look dumb. _

Instead of speaking her mind, Rosie chose to dismiss herself. "Look, I have to go see Headmaster Cid, okay? I´ll see you later." with this, the raven-haired turned and hurriedly left for the elevator, finally implementing the escape plan she´d thought of before.

Selphie was just about to call her, but thought better and let her friend be. Sooner or later Rosie would talk to him. Though the brunette sincerely hoped it was the earlier. Sighing, the tiny cadet retrieved her luggage and ran for the dorms´ hallway.

Hopefully she would be able to reach her group.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note: _

_So, how is it going? Like? Not? _

_Please review!!_


	3. Chapter 3 Fiction

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII_

**Unexpected Destiny **

**Chapter 3: Fiction**

By CelestialRage

She walked towards the elevator, barely noticing her surroundings or the teenagers walking pass her as her mind was entirely focused in replaying the last minute´s images. Squall walking down the hall... the way he moved, he breathed...

_He is real, alive... and he is here. I´m not dreaming... but this is too good to be true._

Finally, Rosie reached the elevator and turned to press the third floor button, her finger freezing in place barely an inch away from the shinny panel as two very familiar frames entered the lift barely seconds after her.

Her heart raced as she settled her eyes on the dark-cladded brunet for a split second before sharply deviating her gaze to the control panel in front of her.

_Oh my god!! Oh my god!!_

_Okay, easy Rosie._

_You don´t want to hyperventilate in front of him, right?_

_So relax, breathe.. in... and out...in... and..._

"Uhm.. could you press the second floor button, please?" a soft, melodious voice asked.

The raven-haired´s attention shifted to the beautiful blonde standing next to her. Blushing slightly at her – surely – stunned look, Rosie cracked a little smile while willing her finger to finally close the distance to the control panel so she could end the embarassing situation.

"S-Sure." blurted the raven-haired, trying her best not to look nervous, though she doubted she did a good job hidding it.

"Thanks." said Quistis smiling before turning to look at Squall, who was already leaning against the lift´s rear wall "So, did you retrieve your GFs from your studying terminal?"

"... No"

His voice was deep and masculine, with a sharp, cold edge that sent shivers down Rosie´s spine. She bowed her head, hoping her long ebony bangs hid her face as she managed a little, fond smile.

It sounded exactly as she had expected.

A little colder perhaps, but the tone was as low and sharp as she´d figured it would be.

Quitis sighed tiredly while shaking her head, golden hair glinting softly in the lift´s lights "Well, just remember you have to do it before the field test."

Squall folded his arms and looked at his side. Rosie looked at him out the corner of her eyes and couldn´t help but giggle inwardly at his reaction.

Much to her dismay, the elevator reached the second floor, and its doors opened with a _ping_. Without another word, Quistis walked out towards her classroom, Squall following close. Rosie stayed inside the lift looking at the dark-cladded brunet as he walked away.

Of course, being a girl and having a gorgeous man in front of her, her eyes wandered a little... ending their journey on his rear. She blushed a little, tilting her head to the side and smiling despite herself. Unfortunately, she couldn´t enjoy the view further because the elevator doors shutted, almost trapping her nose in the process.

_Damn! I have to be more careful from now on. _

Sighing heavily, the raven-haired reclined against the elevator´s wall. Unfortunately for her, Quistis´s perfume hid most of Squall´s cologne, a very subtile musk lingering in the air was the only proof the stoic brunet had been inside the lift too. Closing her eyes, Rosie focused in the fast – and overly _loud – _beating inside her chest.

_I saw him!! Oh, God, thank you so much!! _

Few seconds later, the elevator stopped, opening its doors. Finally she had reached the third floor in which Headmaster Cid´s office stood. Rosie stepped out the lift and walked into a little hall, her footsteps mostly muffled by the red carpeting. As every other part of Garden, it was richly decorated, the walls exhibited the SeeD emblem proudly. At the end of the hall were a pair of cristal doors lined with gold and near them, on each side of the walls, a golden plaque which read:

CID KRAMER

Headmaster

Biting her lip slightly, Rosie knocked on the doors and a couple of seconds later they opened with a _buzz_ sound.

_Obviously electronic, I don´t imagine Cid coming and opening them._

Across her position was a huge mahogany desk and a chair that almost resembled a medieval throne. Seated there was a mature man, around 40 years old, though no grey could be seen in his short, dark brown hair. He wore what had to be the ugliest crimson vest Rosie had ever seen, matching a pair of formal brown pants, white long-sleeved shirt and forest-green tie.

On closer inspection at the older man´s face, the raven-haired smiled inwardly at the thought that the man looked exactly like Elthon John... though she highly doubted the conventional Headmaster would ever dress like the English artist.

Cid stopped reading a couple of papers at the sight of the girl in front of him. He was sure he hadn´t seen her around Garden before. The Headmaster settled the memos on his desk and cleaned his glasses. "Come in, please".

"Thanks, sir" replied Rosie in the most polite possible way.

The raven-haired approached the desk and let her gaze wander around the office as her steps grew closer to Cid´s position. It was well lighted, thanks to the huge windows that adorned the ceiling, allowing her to look at the radiant morning sky.

She figured she should salute the man, after all, he was the most important authority of the military institution. Once in front of the elder, Rosie made her best to imitate the SeeD salute she had seen on several ocasions during her playing Final Fantasy VIII.

"At ease." Cid settled his glasses on his nose and smiled politely "What can I do for you, dear?"

Rosie stood as straight as she could and was attacked by a sudden panic.

What was she supposed to reply to that?

She hadn´t thought of anything she could say to ensure her stay inside Garden... Hell! She hadn´t thought of anything besides seeing Squall and after accomplishing that little bit, her mind had been completely clouded by the impression.

What could she do?

Tell him all she knew about the upcoming events?

No. The Headmaster would never believe her story... and she certainly couldn´t risk him requesting her to be interned in a mental institution.

So the truth was out of the question...

What to do then?

Tell him she was from another Garden? Well, maybe the lie she´d told Selphie could be applied here as well. At least, she hoped so.

Making up her mind, the raven-haired nervously replied "Well, sir... my name is Rosie... well, Rossane Bennett, but no one calls me that... uhmm..." she wanted to smack herself. No cadet would ramble like that!! Here she was trying to be convincing and then end up babbling like a fool!

_Okay, Rosie. Take a deep breath and go ahead..._

"I´ve just arrived from Galbadia Garden and..."

"So Martine sent you?" interrupted Cid, frowning a little.

Rosie shook her head "No, sir. I came because I want my transfer to this Garden".

A copper eyebrow raised in interest "And why is that?"

"Because..."_ Crap! I have to come with a plausible excuse _"... of the rumors flying around at Galbadia, sir."

The Headmaster´s eyes narrowed "Which rumors?"

Rosie shifted her weight from one foot to the other, bitting her lip before finally saying "Well... they are saying that the Sorceress is going towards Galbadia and that she has some issues with Garden" At saying this, the raven-haired was playing a very dangerous card, for Cid could believe her or maybe even put her in detention thinking her a spy or something even worse.

Cid stood up slowly and walked towards a window. "The Sorceress..." his words were hardly audible, and Rosie could see pain in his blue eyes. After a long pause, he spoke again "Did they say when this is most likely to happen?"

"No, sir. As I said, they are just rumors, but I didn´t feel comfortable there anymore. That´s why I came here".

"I see..." Cid turned toward the girl and smiled slightly. "Then, I guess I´d only require your transfer papers, and it will be all settled."

_Damn! Transfer papers?_

_Of course, you dolt! You really thought you didn´t need documentation?_

_What do I do now?_

_Quick! Say something! He´s starting to look at you suspiciously._

"Well, sir... you see... my documents are... still in Galbadia. I spoke to Headmaster Martine and he said he would send them here, but with all the rumors and the tension they have developed in Galbadia Garden it would probably take a couple of weeks before my documents are ready".

"Mmm... I see." Scanning the girl´s face, the Headmaster nodded after a silent minute "Well, I´ll ask some faculty member to show you to your temporal quarters. Welcome to Balamb Garden, Ms. Bennett". Cid extended his hand to her and Rosie took it surprised at her good luck.

"Thank you, sir. Really." Her smile was lost as she remembered the events that would develop in the next hours "Oh! I almost forgot, will I be able to take the SeeD Field Exam today?"

Cid chuckled slightly "No, dear. Until we have your documents, I´m afraid that will be imposible." Rosie´s heart clenched in a tight fist at the discouraging news.

_But I have to do it if I want to be with Squall!_

_What to do?_

Deciding to push the good luck that had accompanied her the whole morning, the raven-haired ventured "Sir, if you doubt I passed the written test, you could apply me one right now."

_Yeah, I know all the answers to those tests, it can´t be that hard._

The Headmaster smiled "I see you´re very determined, but I´m afraid that goes against the rules of Garden."

Rosie stood as firmly as possible "Please, sir.. Just give me one chance, that´s all I ask."

Cid looked at the girl in front of him, locking his eyes with hers, the older man was able to detect the hope, determination and slight fear contained in the unshielded dark orbs. Sighing, the Headmaster shook his head a little "I can´t break the rules for a student of Balamb Garden..."

Rosie´s heart fell and she tried her best not to cry, hiding her pained face from the elder man by lowering her head.

She couldn´t believe it! So close to Squall and yet so far!

_I guess I´ll have to find another way to be with him..._

Her thoughts were interrupted by Cid´s voice "But since you´re from Galbadia..."

When the Headmaster´s implied words finally reached her slightly muddled brain, her head shot up and the raven-haired couldn´t help the amazed look on her face. She felt a huge smile form in her lips as tears almost spilled from her now shinning eyes. "Oh, thank you, sir!! Thank you!!" Rosie forgot all SeeD protocol and rushed to hug Cid, who found her reaction quite cute and amusing. He gave her a pat on her head and broke the embrace softly.

"Okay, Ms. Bennett, you should prepare for the test." He turned to his desk, grabbed a pen and wrote some lines, then handed Rosie the folded piece of paper. "Give this to instructor Quistis Trepe, she´s on classroom 207 on the second floor".

The raven haired took the offered paper and nodded "Thank you again, sir. I promise I won´t let you down."

Cid smiled and shook his head dismissing her thanks before sparing a quick glance at his watch "Oh! And you better hurry, her class will be over in 5 minutes."

Rosie turned around and got out of the room hurriedly. Cid was about to sit again on his chair when the half-closed doors suddenly reopened, Rosie standing between them. She smiled shyly, then stood straight and saluted the man. Cid returned the SeeD salute with a smile and watched her leave again.

All the Headmaster could do was chuckle while he resumed his reading.


	4. Chapter 4 First impressions

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII_

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 4: First impressions**

By CelestialRage

Her steps resonated through the silent second-floor hall.

Looking around, the raven-haired saw several doors along the corridor. Cocking her head to the side a little, she figured they were most likely classrooms, though in the game these were not shown.

_C´mon, Rosie. What did you expect? That this huge, crowded school had only one classroom?_

Shaking her head with a smile, the raven-haired resumed her way to the right part of the hall where she remembered Quistis´s schoolroom was, hoping that hadn´t changed. It didn´t take her long to locate the door labeled 207 and once stopping in front of it, her heart raced at the thought of what, or rather _who_, she would find inside. Still, excitement and anticipation won the battle against her anxiety and before she could hesitate, her hand had already knocked twice.

After a brief moment the door opened, revealing the same young, blonde woman attired in a SeeD uniform she´d met in the lift several minutes ago.

Before, the raven-haired hadn´t had the chance to study the other woman´s features in detail and now she´d to admit Quistis was definitely one of the most beautiful women she´d ever seen. Her eyes were deep blue, currently covered by thin glasses - which Rosie figured the blonde used only for reading, since she didn´t wore them during the rest of the game. Most of her golden hair was fastened with a red clip, except for a couple of long strands that framed her graceful face.

For what she´d seen in the game, the raven-haired knew the blonde was also one not to be underestimated as she´d proved time and again that she was not the proverbial 'beauty without a brain'.

_No wonder she has a whole fan club inside Garden_.

"Can I help you?" Quistis asked and, after another glance at Rosie, narrowed her eyes "Do I know you? I think I´ve seen you somewhere..."

The raven-haired nodded politely "Yeah, we saw each other on the elevator almost half an hour ago."

Blue eyes lightened with recognition "Oh, yeah! Now I remember." Shaking her head, the blonde offered a small, apologetic smile "Sorry, I have so many issues on my mind I hardly noticed you."

_Yeah, right. You were with Squall, that´s why you didn´t notice anyone else._

Instead of speaking her mind, Rosie opted for a more diplomatic answer "Don´t worry, I know how that is, instructor Trepe."

At this Quistis´s eyes widened in obvious surprise "How do you know my name?!"

The raven-haired wanted to smack herself for her slip.

_Great, Rosie! You´ve done it again! _

_You and your big mouth! _

She had barely been inside Garden´s walls for a couple of hours and she´d already gotten herself in trouble on numerous occasions... if she kept this pace, her cover would surely be blown by nightfall.

If not earlier.

Her mind raced to find a plausible cover for her stupid comment "Well... err... I was told by Headmaster Cid that instructor Quistis Trepe was in classroom 207, and seeing you are the only one here dressing a SeeD uniform, I guess that makes **you** instructor Trepe."

Inwardly, Rosie smiled. _Wow! Not bad at all! Hope that´s enough of an explanation for her._

The blonde chuckled lightly "Well, you´re right. I´m instructor Quistis Trepe. Now the question is, who are you?"

The raven-haired smiled and extended her right hand "I´m Rossane Bennett, but everyone calls me Rosie. Nice to meet you, instructor."

Quistis accepted the offered hand and shook it politely. "Well, Rosie, what can I do for you?"

"I´m a transfer student. I went to talk with Headmaster Cid and he gave me this, told me to deliver it to you" she extended the folded piece of paper to Quistis.

The instructor took it and after reading it, turned her attention once more to the raven-haired in front of her "I see. Well, come in. The class is almost finished, but I´ll fill you about the Field Exam after I dismiss everyone."

"Thanks, instructor." Rosie walked in and looked around. Fourteen pairs of eyes were on her, and she could hear some whispered conversations of which she was surely the subject.

This didn´t matter to her, only having a certain set of blue eyes in her mind, which she noticed, her presence had also dragged. Staring directly into Squall´s eyes, the raven-haired couldn´t help but smile.

This action surprised him.

_Why did this girl smiled at me, a complete stranger?_

Feeling oddly uncomfortable, Squall´s gaze drifted and settled on the study panel screen in front of him.

Quistis approached Rosie after closing the door and said "Take a seat. There are only two places on the back: one beside Seifer and the other beside Squall." She signaled each one of them, though it wasn´t necessary, for Rosie knew each of them very well.

"Yeah, thank you." the raven-haired faced the instructor and smiled, before starting her way through the classroom. Her heart raced, beating even faster against her ribcage with every step she took.

This was the moment she had been waiting for... she couldn´t even remember how many time.

But it had been long.

Rosie approached Squall´s seat, finally making out his frame. He was sitting as he did normally, with his face down and his elbows resting on his thighs. His unruly copper bangs shadowed his face and at that moment she would have given anything just to have him look at her again. After what seemed an eternity, she reached the brunet´s position and had to force herself not to shake in both nervousness and excitement.

In her state of mind, it was a true miracle when she managed to softly ask "May I sit here?"

Squall didn´t answer. He glanced at her sideways and made a quick gesture with his arm that seemed to say "suit yourself".

She smiled again and sat beside him, her heart beating so hard she was sure Quistis was able to hear it from her position, 30 feet away.

Obviously, the instructor couldn´t hear anything, so she resumed what she was telling the class before being interrupted. "As I was saying, the SeeD Field Exam will be held today at 1600 hours, so you´ll have enough time to rest and equip properly. I don´t need to remind you that this test has a great degree of danger, for its a real mission. The first of many if you make it into SeeD, so being well prepared is essencial." She looked around her classroom facing every student. There was some probability, although very small, that she could never see some of those faces again.

Although there were always SeeDs present during the test to ensure the success of the mission, there was still the chance that something might go wrong. This was a fear that crept very deep inside her, to lose one of those she had spent time teaching, that the knowledge she had given them was poor, developing deathly consecuences.

Quistis smiled despite her inner fear and dismissed her students. "Well, field participants, I will see you later. You´re dismissed." Suddenly remembering that morning´s incident, involving the two gunbladers she quickly added "Oh! And Squall..." the other students turned to see him. The brunet´s head rose, his gaze fixed on the instructor "... I need to talk to you."

He sighed.

The other students got out of the room, the last of them being Seifer who stopped his overly confident steps at the brunet´s seat. A wicked smirk formed in his lips as he looked at his rival "Have fun."

Squall´s eyes narrowed but he decided not to grant the irritating blond an answer.

Rosie watched this unfold and was startled when Seifer´s deep baritone was heard again, though this time his words were not meant for the brunet, but for herself "And you should mind your own bussiness, kid."

She frowned. Who the hell was this guy to tell her what to do? Looking directly at the large blond, she casually stuck her tongue out to him "And you should mind your manners, Mr. Personality."

His only reply was a cynical smirk and a chuckle. He started down the corridor, lifting his left hand as a good-bye sign and said "I´ll see you around, kid."

_He´s as arrogant as he seems. What a jerk!_ Rosie thought annoyed by Seifer´s attitude.

Her frown softened only when Squall got up and started walking towards Quistis, who was surrounded by a group of _Trepies_, as her fans called themselves. Rosie quickly followed his example and when she arrived the other students had already made some room so she and Squall could talk to Quistis freely.

The instructor adressed the brunet first "You haven´t been to the Fire Cavern yet, have you?"

"...No" _I was going to go this morning, but Seifer..._

Frowning and folding her arms, the blonde asked "Well, do you have a good excuse?"

_Yeah, how about being in the infirmary with a splitting headache thanks to the huge gash that bastard made on my forehead? _

_Good thing I paid him with the same coin._ Instead of speaking his mind, Squall opted for a more diplomatic answer, hoping that would be enough for the instructor "No, not really."

Quistis sighed.

She still didn´t know the details of the little 'practice session' Squall and Seifer had that morning, but she could bet a year´s salary that it had to do with Seifer´s annoying nature and Squall´s pride. The first was always teasing the others around him, challenging them so he could show who the better man was. The second never put down a challenge, he never ran away. It didn´t matter if the challenge was being first in his class or bringing down an entire Galbadian army, Squall Leonhart never backed down.

Both of them had arrived to Garden when they were very young around 5 or 6 years old, or so she had heard. And since the first minute, they never got along, always fighting each other, trying to prove who was better.

Eternal rivals.

The blonde shook her head dismissing her thoughts and looked at him "Well, then let´s get going. You´ll have to cover that prerequisite if you want to participate in today´s field test." She then directed her words to Rosie "That goes for you too. Headmaster Cid asked me in his note to apply you a simple written test, not more than 10 questions so you could answer it quickly and then to proceed to the Fire Cavern. Since Squall hasn´t done that yet, you two can take that challenge together."

"It´s okay with me." The brunet´s reply surprised Rosie. She had expected him to fold his arms and move his head to the side, a gesture she had realized he did instead of rolling his eyes.

"There is no problem with me either."

"Okay, then it´s settled." the blonde smiled slightly and turned to face the _Trepies_ "I´m sorry guys, but I´ll see you tomorrow." Her fan club nodded, dissapointed they couldn´t continue their conversation with instructor Trepe and got out of the room.

Quistis turned to Rosie "Go take a seat. We´ll start the written test in 5 minutes, I´ll have to retrieve it from the data base." then she shifted her attention to Squall "You should prepare for the Fire Cavern test. I´ll be waiting for you in 30 minutes at the front gate." With that, the instructor walked out of the room, leaving the other two surrounded by silence.

Rosie´s stomach decided that moment was the ideal to show it´s lack of food, grunting loudly. She blushed and smiled shyly when the taller brunet turned to look at her, feeling completely stunned when she met the intense blue-gray eyes directly for the first time. She´d always thought Squall´s eyes were of deep azure, but now she detected the darker steel-like hue that coloured the irises, giving his gaze a cooler, almost icy quality to its depth.

Shaking her head slightly to dismiss her sudden shock, the raven-haired smiled apologetically and said "Sorry, I haven´t eaten anything since yesterday." Then an idea crossed her mind like a thunderbolt "Say, I have little time before Quistis shows up, so... uhm.. do you think you could guide me to the cafeteria, please? It would be faster that way."

Squall looked at her briefly and then shifted his gaze and steps towards the door.

She stared at him sadly... he had rejected her. She hadn´t even gotten the chance to exchange a single word directly with him and now probably would never do it. Rosie turned and started walking to her seat, tears stinging the corner of her eyes, when the buzz of the door opening was heard, followed by a deep, low sound that had already attached into her memory.

"Are you coming or not?"

Whipping around, the raven-haired found Squall standing just at the entrance of the classroom with his back facing her and his face slightly turned so that he could look at her out the corner of his eyes. Rosie felt a wide smile form in her lips as she nodded repeatedly, before hurriedly walking toward him. Just as she approached he resumed his walking, making the girl fall a little behind of him.

Rosie felt like walking on the clouds, all of her senses focused on the brunet moving slightly in front of her. His voice, the subtile musky cologne he wore, the way he moved... how he slightly jumped backwards avoiding something... She was so entranced, she couldn´t react when a body suddenly slammed on her, sending the girl to the ground. Having landed on her side, Rosie lifted her head to see the offender, finding Selphie sitting in front of her as, obviously, the tiny cadet had landed flat on her rear.

Squall was slightly amused. He couldn´t believe the raven-haired hadn´t seen the other girl coming. Still, his unreadable expression didn´t change a bit as he watched the scene dispassionately. He stood with a hand on his hip, watching as the girl he had been guiding lifted herself and walked towards the brunette. He heard the concern in her soft voice as she directed her words to the still sitting girl.

"Gosh, Selphie! Are you alright? Here let me help you." Rosie offered her hand to her friend so she could aid her stand up.

The brunette – _Selphie, _Squall reminded himself- shook her head and looked towards the helping hand. Flashing a wide smile at the raven-haired, she took the offering and got up. "Tee hee, I´m fine. Thanks, Rosie."

_So her name is Rosie_. The brunet thought still unmoving.

"I´m sorry. I didn´t mean to knock you down." said the tiny cadet looking at her friend and offering her best smile.

Shaking a hand to dismiss the brunette´s apology, the raven-haired smiled "Don´t worry, Selphie. It was just an accident." she turned her attention to Squall who hadn´t changed position, waiting patiently for her to resume their walk.

Selphie noticed who her friend was with and grinned. _Wow! That sure was fast! He´s already walking with her._ Smiling to herself, she decided it was time to let the two of them alone "Hey, I´m going to class. See ya later, Rosie!" the brunette turned and walked towards room 207.

Rosie called her out "Selphie!! Homeroom is already over."

The tiny girl stopped dead in her tracks and turned with a dismayed look on her face "Whooo... oh, no!! What am I supposed to do now?"

"Instructor Trepe would return shortly. You can wait her there." Squall suggested. Then he turned his attention to Rosie "If you want to eat something before the test, we should hurry. I have other things to do."

Slightly taken a back at his cold tone, she bit her lip and nodded a little "I know, I´m sorry for causing you so much trouble, Squall." The raven-haired turned to Selphie and said "We're going to the cafeteria, you want something?"

The brunette shook her head and smiled "No, thanks. Go ahead, I´ll stay here and wait for instructor Trepe."

Squall resumed his way and Rosie followed suit. She turned one last time towards her petite friend and said "Please tell Quistis I won´t be long."

Selphie nodded before giving the raven-haired a thumbs up and a bright smile.


	5. Chapter 5 Testing

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII_

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 5: Testing**

By CelestialRage

The cafeteria was huge.

Lots of tables and chairs were scattered on the right side, many of them currently occuped by students and SeeDs. The sounds of clattering food utensils mixed with those of cheerful laughter and chatter, along with the occasional string of obscenities coming from the several Triple Triad players scattered around the place. Seeing the frowns on the students' faces and the tense aura that seemed to surround the contestants, Rosie figured they took the game quite seriously.

All of a sudden Squall stopped, the raven-haired barely able to avoid bumping into him as most of her attention was focused on the card tournament currently being held on the nearest corner of the cafeteria. She looked ahead and found the source of her brunet´s guide attention: Seifer.

He stood near a vendor machine, and this time the tall blond was not alone. At his right stood a petite – at least compared to her friends´ sizes – red-eyed, albino woman dressed in a blue shirt and dark pants along with a bulky tanned man, whose well-muscled chest was barely covered by an open vest that matched his baggy pants.

_Fujin and Raijin_ Rosie thought, inspecting the two teens' frames. _Well, seems we have all the Disciplinary Committee here._

By the look on their faces, it seemed Seifer and his comrades were having problems deciding which drink each of them would buy. Apparently sensing he was being watched, the head of the Disciplinary Comittee turned around to find his brunet rival and the raven-haired girl standing a few feet from him. His friends noticed his attention was directed to something else than their current problem and turned to see what had attracted Seifer´s gaze.

Raijin - who didn´t disliked Squall like the rest of the committee - greeted the cadet, a wide smile spreading through his face "Yo, it´s Squall! – then looking at Rosie, added – "And there´s a girl with him, ya know!"

"ODD" Fujin added as she looked over at the girl behind the brunet. Not only did she said it because of the oddity of seeing Squall accompanied, let alone by a girl, but also because of the raven-haired´s clothes: blue jeans, black tennis shoes and a green t-shirt. The albino girl didn´t know any student at Garden that used jeans inside the facility, for they weren´t comfortable to fight or train with.

Squall turned to Rosie and nodded "Here´s the cafeteria." His dark-gloved hand pointed at the upper left corner of the room where the counter was set "You can ask for your meal there."

The raven-haired nodded back "Yeah, thanks." she said before directing a warm smile at the taller cadet.

The brunet looked briefly at her with narrowed eyes before shaking his head slightly and walking away. Her gaze still fixed on her guide, Rosie followed his retreating frame before her attention wandered a little again, just like when he had exited the lift, about an hour ago.

Seifer´s voice made her nearly jump out of her skin "So, you Kid are from Trabia?"

Rosie turned to see him standing closer than he had before Squall left. For the first time, she´d the chance to truly analize the blond. While the brunet was taller than her by mere inches, Seifer´s broader frame towered over hers by almost two feet. Looking closer, the raven-haired was amazed by the intense green of his eyes and the passionate fire that lit the jade orbs, quite a contrast to Squall´s icy steel ones.

Once more, Rosie couldn't help but think how different both gunbladers were, not only physically, but also mentally. While Squall was stoic, distant and reserved, Seifer was arrogant, confident and couldn´t keep a thought to himself even if you paid him.

No wonder they didn´t get along...

The blond took a step closer and she unconsciously tensed before answering. "No... I´m from Galbadia."

"Timber or Deling city?" Seifer asked while handing her a soda can.

The unexpected action had taken her completely by surprise. Seifer Almasy, better known around Garden as "The Arrogant Bastard" - among other non too pleasant adjectives - was actually being... nice?

The raven-haired stood stunned for a brief moment, finally managing to settle herself enough to reach out for the offered drink. Rosie's hesitation incited a deep chuckle from the blond "I don´t bite..." he stated, smirking smugly "... unless you want me to."

She returned the gesture "Are you always so charming, or it´s my lucky day?"

He chuckled again. "Charm is my middle name." Opening the can, the blond took a sip of his soda "Besides, I´m in a good mood today, beat your tourist guide this morning."

_Yeah, I know that._

The raven-haired mimiqued Seifer's actions, her hands slowing down the motions as her mind flashed images of the gunbladers' duel scene at the beginning of the game. "Sounds like it´s the first time you do it."

Seifer shrugged, his trademark smirk still in place "Not really. But everytime I do, makes me feel even better than the last."

"You two are close, uh?" She asked after sipping a little of the can´s contents.

He didn´t have the chance to answer. A cadet rushed past them towards the counter. Rosie followed the colorful blur and smiled amusedly at the thought that the recently arrived definitely couldn´t pass unnoticed. Zell Dincht´s blond, straight hair (that resembled chocobo feathers) and the black tattoo adorning the left side of his face made him stood out like a Behemoth in a flower field.

The cadet heaved, his odd hairstyle amazingly never leaving its place "D-do you have... any hotdogs left?" his well-musculed body panted with exhaustion, and the raven-haired was certain that he had most likely sprinted through the entire Garden to get there.

The cafeteria lady shook her head "Nope. You´re a bit late, we´re already sold out."

"Oh, man! Not again!" Zell whinned, turning around and stuffing his hands inside his pockets. With a childish pout, the martial artist slowly walked away, all the while cursing his lousy luck.

"I´ll try to order more, but there´s no guarantee!" said the cafeteria lady looking at the retreating youngster. He always came for the famed hotdogs, but rarely was able to eat them. _Poor kid, next time I´ll keep some for him._

Seifer looked at Zell and smirked evily. "Speeding" he turned towards his comrades, who nodded at him. They knew how much the blond loved to harass the smaller man "Let´s go arrest that student for violation of academic regulations"

"AFFIRMATIVE" Fujin said as she ran after Zell.

"Roger, ya know" added Raijin before following the albino.

Seifer looked at Rosie once more and flashed her a cocky grin "Gotta go, Kid." The blond walked pass her, slowing a little to say "I´ll see you around".

The raven-haired sighed and relaxed as she watched the retreating blond. His confident, large steps carried him quickly across the room and not even a minute later, he was already out of sight.

_Okay, that encounter was rather strange. _

Her eyes deviated from the facility´s entrance to the orange juice can she was still holding. _Didn´t know that Seifer could actually be nice. Guess now I know what Rinoa saw in him in the first place._

Rosie decided to let that subject drop, the last thing she wanted right now was to think of Rinoa. Suddenly remided by her growling stomach of the reason for her being there, the raven-haired walked towards the counter and ordered a sandwich.

ooo ooo

Squall walked into his dorm. After his ordeal with Seifer that morning, his and his rival´s belongings were delivered to their respective rooms by some of the volunteers in the infirmary staff, so he had to retrieve his gear and prepare for the upcoming battle with the GF Ifrit in the Fire Cavern.

He set the dark case concealing his weapon on the bed and opened it. Inside, laying beside a set of bullets, was his gunblade: Revolver. Squall took out the heavy, deadly, yet beautiful silver weapon and inspected it. Opening the gun´s barrel, the brunet loaded the six rounds it was designed to hold before testing the gunblade´s stability and equilibrium. Satisfied that Revolver hadn´t been damaged during his "training session" with the blond, Squall sheated the gunblade and focused in the other things he´ll most likely use in the upcoming test.

The cadet double-checked his magic storages and - after he was completely sure everything was in order - walked out of his dorm, making his way towards the infirmary to get some potions he would surely need.

ooo ooo

She ran through the corridor finishing the last piece of her sandwich.

_Oh, god! Surely I´m late and Quistis is mad at me!! _

Finally Rosie arrived at the classroom and entered, only to find Selphie chatting with the instructor. Both women turned at the emerging figure, stopping their animated conversation.

The raven-haired smiled shyly "I´m sorry for being late, instructor. But I hadn´t eaten anything and Squall was kind enough to guide me to the cafeteria so I could take a quick meal before the test."

Quistis was astonished but decided not to show it. _Squall did that?! I´ve never heard of that happening before..._ Smiling back, the blonde shook her head "Don´t worry, Selphie told me where you were. Are you ready?"

"Yeah. What do I do?"

"Go take a seat, I´ve already loaded the test into the classroom´s digital system."

Rosie walked down the isle and sat in her and Squall´s place. It gave her some comfort, as though she could draw strength from that spot. Glancing at the large keyboard, she found the switch on button and pushed it. The monitor blinked and she was greeted by Garden´s black and white emblem. Afterwards, the study pannel´s system appeared, displaying various options.

She searched for one labeled "test" or something alike, finally finding it in the lower left corner of the screen. Selecting the topic "WRITTEN TEST", the raven-haired took a deep breath and proceded to answer the questions.

Luckily for her, it was multiple choice.

After scoring 5 correct answers, she found her first obstacle.

**Question #6.** Which is the Garden article you should apply if one of your partners is afflicted with an alien substance, altering his/her health and/or judgement?

a) Garden article 704, section VI.

b) Garden article 530, section II

c) Garden article 245, section VIII

d) None of the above

_Crap! I don´t know anything about the Garden articles!! _

Rosie bit her lower lip, reading the question once more and deciding to apply the only method she knew that could possibly solve her dilemma. _Well, I guess there´s only one way out of this._

Closing her eyes, the raven-haired pointed her index finger towards the screen and started moving it randomly up and down. "Eenie, meenie, mynee... mo!" She cracked open her right eye and found that her finger had stopped on option b), which she selected.

Before the test was finished, Rosie had applied this method 3 more times.

The system announced Quistis that the applicant had finished the test and automatically proceded to evaluate her. Once the result was displayed in the instructor´s screen, she called Rosie.

The girl stood up and walked towards the blonde, while praying all Saints in Heaven to help her pass the test. She walked near Selphie, who smiled at her in a reasurring way, gesture she tried to return, though the raven-haired highly doubted she accomplished it.

Once Rosie was standing in front of the instructor´s desk, Quistis attention turned from her screen to the girl´s face. "Well, I´m sorry but..."

The raven-haired´s heart sank. _Oh, no! I didn´t made it! _

"...there´s someone with higher ranking than yours." As she finished the sentence, Quistis pressed a button on her panel in order to display its contents in the main classroom´s screen just above her desk. It was a chart which contained the students´ names and their scores on the written test. The raven-haired´s name was just below Squall´s, who was topping the list.

He had 10 points, she had 9.

Rosie smiled brightly and jumped "YES!! I DID IT!! WOOOOO!!" Selphie joined her friend´s celebration, both girls laughing and jumping like crazy.

Smiling amusedly, Quistis watched the show the girls were displaying. Both teens acted as though they were 5-years-old and had just learned they won free ice-cream for life. The instructor looked at her watch and frowned, her smile vanishing at once.

Clearing her throat, the blonde caught the cadets´ attention and said "Sorry to interrupt the celebration. But we have to assemble with Squall at the Front Gate in 10 minutes." She looked at Rosie "You should get prepared. Remember to bring your weapon and stock enough magic. I´ll do the same." without further word, the blonde walked away. She was just about to exit the room when she turned around and added "Congratulations, by the way." Smiling, she dissapeared through the threshold.

"Thanks!" Rosie said loud enough for the retreating instructor to hear. When the door closed after the blonde´s frame, she turned to look at Selphie "I´m sooo happy!!"

However, something Quistis said struck the raven-haired like a school bus, making her smiling face melt into one of worry.

Watching her friend´s demeanor sudden change, Selphie couldn´t help but ask "What´s wrong?"

"... I don´t have a weapon... or magic for that matter..." Rosie looked at the brunette in front of her. She shook her head and asked worriedly "What am I going to do now?"


	6. Chapter 6 Paramagic

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII, but I´d love to own Squall jajajaja_

**Unexpected Destiny **

**Chapter 6: Para-magic**

By CelestialRage

Selphie´s emerald eyes were full of empathy for her friend. As far as she knew, the students from Galbadia Garden didn´t train on magic and GFs as Balamb´s or Trabia´s did. In fact, the Galbadians relied more on technology and weapons than on para-magic, while Balamb´s primarly concern was to teach their students how to channel energies as powerful as those from GFs. Trabia was a little behind from Balamb in magical use and development, but this didn´t mean they couldn´t use these forces properly.

After briefly considering their options, the brunette smiled encouragingly "Don´t worry. Look, I´ll lend you one of my GFs and then we´ll get you some magic. But... about the weapon, well... I don´t think that´ll be easy to replace."

The raven-haired smiled back at her friend´s offer "Thanks, Selphie. At least you´ve solved a part of my problem."

_Where do I get a weapon? _

_And even if I get one, I´ve never used a real gun, only the ones used to play Time Crisis or House of the Dead arcade games, let alone any other kind of weapons like swords or whips._

Rosie was really worried. If she didn´t have a weapon then she would be in trouble, for she would only have her magical stores to rely on. That was, of course, if she actually _knew_ how to use para-magic. On the other hand, provided that she managed to get a hold of a weapon, she´ll also be in trouble, because everyone would be able to notice she was absolutely clueless on how to use it.

Any way she was screwed.

"Okay, first things first." Selphie´s voice broke the raven-haired´s reverie as the brunette positioned in front of Rosie before taking her right hand. "I´m going to lend you Quetzalcoatl, kay?"

Rosie nodded slightly, a little scared of what would happen next. Her eyes widened when a bright flash enveloped Selphie´s smaller frame in a green and yellow light before quickly travelling the lenght of her arm. As it touched Rosie´s skin, she felt a jolt of electricity. The shock was painful but thankfully, brief. The raven-haired looked amazed as the energy slid all the way up her right arm before finally blinding her momentarily by the same flash she had seen when this odd experience began.

Immediately after the light receded, Rosie felt as though her mind had divided in two: one part remained her own, but in the other she could hear the alien thoughts of the GF now junctioned to her. It was an extremely eerie feeling, to share her mind with other being. The sensation quickly increased when the Guardian "spoke" in a language she didn´t know and the raven-haired amazingly found she could understand what it was saying.

"There, it´s done" said Selphie letting go of her friend´s hand. "How do you feel?"

Rosie frowned a little, moving her hands to support her head. "To be honest, odd... It´s my first experience junctioning a GF."

The brunette giggled "It´s a normal feeling, don´t worry you´ll get used to it." Selphie smiled brightly and then said "Well, we should get you some para-magic... but, where?"

"Mmmm... how about the Training Center?" Rosie suggested.

The tiny cadet shook her head "No, it´s too dangerous to go if you´re not prepared."

"But there are only grats in there... and a few T-Rexaurs, of course, but we could run from them." offered the raven-haired shrugging.

"Only grats? How can you be so sure?" Selphie frowned. That didn´t sound possible, The monsters in Trabia Garden´s Training Center went from Mesmerizes to Blue Dragons, and they were quite difficult to defeat.

Rosie smiled "Well.. when Squall and I were going towards the cafeteria I overheard some students talking about the Training Center´s wildlife, that´s why."

_Furthermore, I´ve played this game like 4 times and I can assure you there´s nothing else there._

Selphie considered her friend´s words. _Maybe there are T-Rexaurs to make up for the grats, otherwise it would be way too easy training there. _She sighed and finally nodded "Okay, if you´re so sure, then we should take a shot." The brunette started her way towards the door

"C´mon, let´s retrieve my equipment. Then we´ll head for the Training Center."

ooo ooo

Quistis folded her SeeD uniform and laid it neatly on her bed. Now attired with her casual clothes – a reddish zip-up vest, matching long skirt and high black boots – the instructor retrieved her weapon from the small case she kept below her bed. The Slaying Tail, a black whip made from grat tentacles, strong yet very flexible and quite deadly since a sharp-looking blade was attached to the tip of the whip, ready to rip appart great amounts of flesh.

She sighed.

Hyne, was she tired!

But it couldn´t be helped, she had to guide Squall and the new girl, Rosie, through the Fire Cavern challenge. Of course, the blonde knew she was only backup and since there were 2 students taking the test simultaneously, she would only intervene on extreme circumstances.

Double checking that all her equipment an magic were in order, Quistis fastened the coiled whip to the black belt dancing around her hips and walked out of the room.

ooo ooo

Squall nodded as doctor Kadowaki gave him the last part of her extensive, yet always useful, medical advice. He bid the woman farewell and turned to leave. As he walked through the hall connecting the infirmary with the main body of Balamb Garden, the brunet mentally checked the goods he had delivered: 5 potions, 3 eyedrops, 4 antidotes and a couple of Phoenix Downs, just in case he or his partners suffered a great amount of damage. What he wondered now was how come magic could almost resuscitate the death and yet couldn´t cure a facial scar?

It was beyond him.

He was walking in the main hall towards the Front Gate, when stormy eyes detected a couple of familiar frames entering the Training Center.

ooo ooo

Selphie and Rosie walked down the wide corridor, the raven-haired´s gaze lingering in the green plaque displaying the facility´s name.

The girls had gone to the brunette´s room to retrieve her red, oversized nunchakus – which amazingly were heavier than Rosie had thought given her friend´s body frame – along with Selphie´s magical stores. Although poor, the brunette happily shared with her friend the few spells she had.

When Selphie told her to draw the magic she presented her, Rosie was completely appaled. How the hell was she supposed to do that? She was still getting used to the Guardian´s uncomfortable presence in her mind and she couldn´t begin to figure how she could use the powerful entity´s energy in her benefit.

Suddenly, the alien voice from Quetzalcoatl grew louder and she could tell the GF was trying to reasure her, telling her not to be afraid.

**"Just let me handle it." **– the reverberating voice said – "**Concentrate on the energy the human in front of you holds."**

Shrugging inwardly, Rosie returned her attention to her friend´s frame. Dark eyes narrowed in concentration as she focused her entire thoughts on the brunette. To her surprise, several bolts of multicolored light emerged from Selphie´s body, travelling towards her.

Just as when she had junctioned Quetzalcoatl, the raven-haired´s body was enveloped in a bright hue, which slowly faded, leaving her a sensation she didn´t know could exist. Her hands clutched ebony strands of hair as the overwhelming feeling left her breathless. The raven-haired panted as her brain´s temperature increased to a point Rosie feared it would melt away. However as soon as it had raised, the heat dissapeared, this time the cool sensation made the raven-haired clench her teeth as the temperature dropped almost to the point of freezing.

_Someone make it stop!! I´m going to die!_

As if on cue, the terrible pain vanished - not even leaving the normal ache it´s overwhelming nature incited - making Rosie blink in confusion at the abrupt relief.

"What was that?" she asked the brunette in front of her.

"You drew a few blizzards and fires, that´s all." replied Selphie smiling.

The raven-haired´s eyes widened in disbelief.

_They were just blizzards and fires?! _

_I don´t want to know what would happen to my brain if I draw blizzara or fira, nevermind blizzagas and firagas or something stronger like ultima... _

_I guess that´s why SeeDs train so hard, you must be quite strong to resist junctioning GFs and drawing more powerful magic, I guess it must be the same to cast it._

Completely oblivious to her friend´s inner turmoil, Selphie grabbed her small item pouch and cheerfully said "Well, now we´re settled, so let´s go!!"

So there they were...

In the front gates of the Training Center.

Rosie looked around astonished, she had never imagined the place to be _that _big. Both girls were surrounded by an exotic-looking jungle, which served as shelter for the monsters that roamed the place. There were electrical fences on both sides of the road, which suddenly reminded Rosie of Jurassic Park, and oddly of the T-Rex that ate some of the cast from the movie.

Deciding that wasn´t the best time to think of what a T-Rex can do with a human body, Rosie focused only on the task at hand: she needed more magic and, of course, some practice before the Fire Cavern challenge.

They walked on the small bridge that conected the Training Center´s main area with which appeared to be a safety zone, just where the thick metallic doors stood.

Looking around, the raven-haired detected the spot she was searching for: a small area which shinned slightly: a drawing point. And if her memory didn´t fail her, she could draw more blizzards there, magic that would prove quite effective in her upcoming battle with Ifrit.

Rosie started walking towards the draw point. Selphie, whose attention was suddenly drawn from her surroundings to the movement by her side, called her out "Heeey! Where are you going?"

"I saw a draw point over there. I want the magic it has, it could be useful." Rosie answered, her back still facing the brunette as she slowly approached her goal.

"Okay, but be-"

Selphie didn´t have the chance to finish as a sudden blow to the back of her head rendered the yelping brunette unconscious.

Having heard Selphie´s cry, Rosie turned around only to find a grat looming over her friend´s unresponsive form.

"SELPHIE!!" the raven-haired cried out as she ran towards the brunette. The grat, sensing the approaching human was about to ruin its meal, moved in front of its catch, the tentacles moving in Rosie´s direction.

She came to a halt as a long, whip-like limb wrapped itself around her right wrist. The grat hissed triumphally and pulled its new prey towards it. Rosie tried to resist but the mutant plant was quite strong. She fell forwards, landing flat on her face before being dragged a couple of feet towards the grat. The raven-haired used all her strenght to turn face up and started kicking the plant with all her might.

Unfortunatelly, the monster wasn´t about to let an easy meal slip past its tentacles.

_I have to do something or we´ll be doomed!! If only I could use the magic I´ve stored!!_

The sound of her Guardian´s voice boomed in her head once more. "**Focus your energy towards your target and will to release the spell of your choice. Use your willpower, that´s the key."**

Rosie focused on the grat in front of her. The plant resumed its pulling on its prey and she lost her concentration. The top of the gigant plant opened to reveal two rows of razor sharp teeth, the monster emiting a shrill victory cry as it dragged the raven-haired closer. Suddenly afraid, Rosie willed all her strenght towards the grat, instantly noticing the warmth enveloping her being. Just when the mutant plant was about to wrap up its prey so it could eat her, Rosie closed her eyes, a whisper leaving her lips.

"Fire."

The word had barely been spoken when the grat shrieked in pain, its entire frame twisting and turning as powerful flames enveloped its form. The tentacle holding Rosie captive released its grip on her wrist and the raven-haired didn´t think twice before quickly crawling towards Selphie and dragging the brunette out of harm´s way as she witnessed – half in awe, half in horror – the monster being slowly consumed by the fiery flames.

Recovering her breath once the shrill cries extinguished along with the grat´s life, Rosie shook Selphie awake but despite her insistance, the brunette didn´t respond. Afraid for her friend´s well-being , the raven-haired started dragging the petite girl towards the entrance, where she could leave her safely and call for help.

Much to her dismay, another grat appeared on her left side, apparently drawn by its fellow monster´s shrieks. Its tentacles started moving towards the girls as low, venomous and menacing hiss left its frame. Frowning, Rosie focused her energy again, warmth filling her senses once more, though this time it was stronger. The raven-haired could actually feel the fiery sensation centring especially on the tip of her fingers and once the energy seemed to have reached its critical point, she extended her hand towards the grat.

"FIRE!!"

Instantly, the second grat was consumed by flames, shrieking painfully and thrashing about.

Astonished and heaving a little, Rosie looked down her fingers, half expecting to see little flames on their tips.

_So that´s how you channel magic. It´s awesome!! _

_But also so tiring... I´m spent._

Another shriek from the agonizing monster shook the raven-haired out of her brief reverie. She resumed dragging the unconscious Selphie towards the safety zone and was 20 feet away from it, when a sudden loud roar made her jump out of her skin.

What she had feared the most had finally happened: the jungle around her shook slightly as a huge T-Rexaur made its way towards her.

Wide-eyed, Rosie stared at the gigantic lizard as it emerged from the thick foliage with another thunderous roar. The creature was gargantuan: almost 30 feet tall and more or less 15 long. Its jaws parted and the raven-haired´s heart made a somersault at the sight of several, long sharp teeth.

There was no way she could defeat the prehistoric monster, not with her poor magic resources and lack of a weapon, much less alone and tired as she was.

The hungry eyes of the T-Rexaur focused on her and Rosie could feel her heart beating insanely in her chest, its cadence clearly heard inside her ears. Adrenaline filled her veins and cold sweat ran down her forehead as she experimented real fear for the first time in her life. Her heart skipped a beat when the monster approached with long, heavy steps, opening its jaws widely this time and displaying better its huge teeth.

Rosie´s grip on Selphie hardened as she closed her eyes and cringed, waiting for the gigant reptile to finish its work.

A sudden, painful roar made the raven-haired open her eyes, the dark orbs widening again as they settled on the dark-cladded figure in front of her. Squall´s position allowed her to spare a quick glance at his gunblade, Rosie´s awe increasing when she noticed the thick, dark crimson liquid dripping from the sharp blade. He had sliced the monster´s upper jaw, making the T-Rexaur a nice, deep gash.

The brunet turned his head enough to see Rosie sideways, his voice raising above the trashing monster´s pained and angry roars "You alright?"

She nodded still dumbfounded and muttered "Yes.. thanks."

Quickly, Squall took Selphie´s limp body from Rosie´s grip and shouted "C´mon, while it´s distracted!" with that, he started running towards the safety zone. The raven-haired hot on his heels.

The giant lizard tried to follow them but Squall, who had reached their goal, pressed a red button on the control panel next to the metallic doors. As Rosie entered the safety zone, an electrical field formed behind her, cutting the T-Rexaur´s advance and discharging 300,000 volts through it.

The monster landed heavily on its side, groaning painfully while thin columns of smoke left its charred and paralyzed body.

The metallic doors closed with a _bzzz_ sound.

They had escaped.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note: _

_I was going to update this chapter yesterday, but due to an electrical failure it was impossible. Thanks to all who have reviewed this story, it means a lot to me. I hope you are enjoying it. And of course, thanks for all the suggestions on how to develop further situations :D. _

_Keep reading and reviewing, please!!_


	7. Chapter 7 Hot

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII, but if I owned Squall... (naughty thoughts)_

**Unexpected Destiny **

**Chapter 7: Hot**

By CelestialRage

The brunet turned to look at the still heavily panting girl beside him. Her high ponytail, somewhat disarranged, clinged in front of her face, covering her features with the raven veil her hair formed. Feeling his stare, she glanced up at him and offered a small, tired smile.

"Thanks for helping us, Squall."

He dismissed her thanks with a gesture of his free arm. "We have to get your friend to the infirmary. C´mon." without another word or waiting for a possible reply, the brunet started his way towards the west block of Garden, carrying the still unconscious Selphie over his right shoulder while Rosie walked slightly behind him.

Still shaken by the previous events, the raven-haired had a little difficulty with keeping with Squall´s fast, long stride. However, once they entered Garden´s main hall, Rosie finally managed to relax, releasing a breath she wasn´t even conscious she was holding.

Had other been the circumstances of that walk, she would have been incredibly happy to be able to wander through the facility with the stoic brunet at her side, but right now all she could think of was Selphie´s health.

She would never forgive herself if something happened to her friend.

After what seemed an eternity for her, they finally arrived to the infirmary, where a plump, smiling woman around her 40´s greeted them from the back of her desk. Rosie immediately recognized the white-cladded woman as Balamb´s resident physician: doctor Kadowaki. As soon as the gentle, aged eyes detected Selphie´s limp form, she bolted from her chair towards Squall and asked him to put the petite girl on one of the beds.

He complied and then backed up a few steps, leaving the doctor enough room to move and check on Selphie. At his side, Rosie stood nervously bitting her lower lip as she watched the older woman taking the brunette´s vital signs. When she was over, Kadowaki turned towards the cadets and smiled.

"Your friend will be okay. She´ll be waking up any minute now. Don´t worry, she doesn´t even have a concussion."

Rosie´s sigh of relief was audible. The news lifting a huge weight off her heart. "Thank you, doctor." suddenly remembering that day´s important event, she worriedly asked "Excuse me, but.. would she be able to attend today´s Field exam?"

Kadowaki looked at the concerned girl, her soft voice acquiring a motherly tone "Sure, dear. Don´t worry, the blow she received was hard but not serious. She´ll be fine."

Rosie smiled back at the woman and nodded "Thank you again, doctor."

"We should get to the Front Gate. Instructor Trepe is surely waiting for us." Squall said, glancing at the young woman standing at his side.

She looked back at him and nodded "Yeah, you´re right" she then directed her words to Kadowaki "Doctor, when Selphie wakes, please tell her Rosie will come back soon."

"Don´t worry, dear. I will. Now go, you don´t want to keep Quistis waiting, I´m telling you, it´s not a good idea." She chuckled, Rosie smiled and Squall... well, he kept his usual "Squallish" expression.

Both cadets left the infirmary and hurried down the main hall towards the main gate. They had barely made it to the outer garden when a crimson-robed Faculty member intercepted them. His attention focused immediately on the brunet.

"Student #41269, Squall?

"Yeah." He replied dryly. If there was something in all Garden that the brunet hated, that were Faculty Members, always sticking their noses in everything. They were severely strict and applied rules with iron fist, even those that were plainly stupid.

The crimson-robed man´s tone darkened "Mhh! You´re that problem child" At this, Squall turned his head to the side and folded his arms. He didn´t like that label, but always fighting with Seifer could only lead you so far. "Don´t you have to be in the Fire Cavern test?" asked the Garden employee angrily.

"Yeah, I-"

The Faculty cut him off "So what are you still doing here? You´re making instructor Trepe wait!"

Squall sighed exasperated and resumed his way.

_No use trying to talk to them, they never listen to anyone. So stupid..._

Not oblivious to his quiet anger, Rosie followed the brunet while directing a small frown at the Faculty member. He looked at the girl and called her out. "Hey, you!" Both cadets stopped and turned. The red-robed man approached the raven-haired and asked "Are you Rossane Bennett?"

She nodded, eyes wide in surprise "Yes.. how do you...?"

He presented her a metallic keycard. "Headmaster Cid told me to find you and deliver this to you. It´s your dorm key." As she took it, he looked again at the young man behind Rosie and said "If you want my advice, you should get away from that problem child, unless you want to be labeled like that too."

Rosie frowned "I don´t need your advice. Thank Headmaster Cid for the keycard." Her case stated, the raven-haired turned away from the man and resumed her walk with Squall.

The Faculty member watched them leave side by side and shook his head before turning around and entering the building.

Dark eyes wandered through the thin metallic card she held, taking in every little detail as a smile spread through her face. Garden´s emblem was printed on the upper right corner while her name was displayed in silver ink at the center of the card. On the other side, she could see a few electric pieces concealed by a thin, semi-transparent grey cover.

_Well, at least I have a place to sleep tonight._

The teens arrived at the Front Gate and as they had expected, Quistis was already there waiting. The blonde turned around when she heard the approaching footsteps and was surprised to see Squall and Rosie together again. Normally the young man was alone or with her, but only because the instructor forced herself on his spare time with any kind of excuses, some of them lame, but he didn´t protested.

Squall always followed orders.

The instructor forced a smile and greeted her students. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, sorry for keeping you waiting." Rosie smiled as she apologized.

Quistis shook her head. "Nevermind. Let´s go, it´s not far, but we may encounter some monsters on our way."

ooo ooo

Selphie woke and held her head.

She had the most incredible headache!

Looking around with slowly refocusing eyes, the brunette found herself lying on a bed, most likely in the Garden´s infirmary. She didn´t think any dorm would smell so much as disinfectant and cleaning products. A couple of seconds later, a white-cladded form entered her room and soft voice filled her senses.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I´ve been run over by a 2-ton snow lion." Selphie muttered, then suddenly remembering her raven-haired friend, she asked worriedly "Where... where is Rosie?"

The older woman smiled and approached the prone girl. Inspecting the brunette´s emerald eyes with a small flashlight, she replied "Don´t worry, she´s fine. In fact, she was with another cadet when they brought you."

Selphie´s head tilted to the side in curiosity "Another cadet?"

Her check-up finished, the doctor put away her lantern and nodded "Yeah, you probably don´t know him, because you´re new here, but his name is Squall Leonhart."

Selphie frowned. The name rang a bell, but she couldn´t place where she had heard it... A minute passed and the brunette´s memory finally replayed something useful: Rosie had told her _Squall_ had guided her to the cafeteria.

_Yeah, that´s when she heard the students talking about the grats in the Training Center. _

_So, the guy I saw her watching at this morning in the hall is Squall. But how did he find us? _The brunette asked this last thought to the doctor.

Kadowaki shook her head. "I don´t know, but guess you have to thank him later. Mind to tell me what happened?"

Selphie straightened herself on the bed and started telling the doctor all she could remember.

ooo ooo

Squall rolled to his left side as the Glacial Eye hurled its sharp tail towards him. Rosie focused her energy as she had during the previous incident with the grats and called forth another Fire spell. The monster floated higher trying to avoid the blow, but its tail was enveloped by the flames, leaving it useless. The Glacial Eye shrieked in pain and directed its next attack to its offender. The ice-blue body bent slightly backwards, making chill air to blow towards Rosie. She looked amazed as small icy particles formed around her. The monster didn´t have the chance to finish casting the Blizzard spell, for Revolver sliced through it´s head, the sharp blade cutting it in half.

Rosie sighed relieved, looked at Squall and nodded smiling.

He nodded a little in return.

Quistis watched their mutual understanding and felt a chill in her heart. Oblivious to the instructor´s feelings, the cadets resumed their walking. They were half-way from the Fire Cavern and had already killed a couple of Glacial Eyes (from which both of them drew more Blizzards) and some Bite-Bugs, which served to reinforce their magical stores further with some Scan spells and more Fires.

For more practical reasons, the three of them decided to avoid the forest near the Fire Cavern, since the chances of encountering a wild T-Rexaur were high and such a fight would surely drain their energies, leaving them too tired for the real challenge.

When they finally arrived to their goal, the instructor took the lead and walked straight to the entrance, guarded by two Faculty members. The blonde stood at attention in front of the men, her regal frame further emphasized by the smooth motion. The cadets followed her example, though Rosie felt incredibly clumsy at it, especially after witnessing Quistis´s natural grace.

One of the Faculty advanced and spoke in a clear, low voice

"Who is the one taking this test?"

Squall advanced a step, Rosie following his example. The Faculty member turned to look at Quistis "This can´t be. Only one of them should enter at the time."

Already expecting the crimson-robed men reaction, the blonde extended the man a folded piece of paper. "Orders from Headmaster Cid. As long as there´s little time before the Field Test, they will take this exam together. I´m their support, instructor 14, Quistis Trepe."

The man took the note and after reading it twice, stepped aside. "Very well, choose your time limit, challenge yet reasonable. Keep in mind, the two of you would participate, which is quite an exception."

Rosie turned to Squall and suggested "How about 15 minutes?"

The brunet considered her words. Maybe they could make it in less time, but there were other monsters aside from Ifrit inside the cavern, and they still had to return to this point after defeating the Fire Guardian. However, taking more time than necessary would probably show indecision and fear, which certainly look bad in their final report.

Finally, Squall nodded "15 minutes sounds fine."

"Very well, good luck". The other Faculty member prepared his chronometer and stepped aside.

The three teens stepped into the cavern. Balamb´s warm, tropical air was replaced by a dry, hot atmosphere. It reminded Rosie of her city´s subway, only 10 times more suffocating. She wheezed slightly and looked at Squall out the corner of her eyes. How could he still wear the heavy-looking jacket in the hellish conditions was beyond her.

The trio walked through the cavern, the sound of their footsteps on solid rock echoing through the walls. Quistis voice suddenly raised above the noise, filling the narrow space "Remember I´m here just to back you up. Everything else is up to you." The cadets nodded, Rosie whispering a faint "yes" in reply.

Squall had already unsheated his weapon and kept his senses focused on his surroundings. The raven-haired walked slightly behind him, concentrating her energy in order to be ready in case a monster decided to attack them. Task that became more and more difficult to accomplish as the extreme heat her body had to endure diverged her focus, overly annoying Rosie. Quistis kept a hand on her whip while her bright, blue eyes settled on the duo in front of her.

The blonde suddenly wondered why Rosie hadn´t bring a weapon with her, but supposed the raven-haired felt more comfortable using only magic. Although the notion was quite a valid one, it would surely cause her to rest some points. If an enemy used a Silence spell on the raven-haired, she would definitely be doomed due to her lack of a secondary defense (or attack) form.

Noticing the tense frame of the leading brunet, the instructor smirked, deciding to lighten the mood a little.

"You know, the boys often choke this test when I come with them." Quistis said casually before a wide smile spread on her beautiful face "I guess my charm makes them nervous."

Squall stopped dead in his tracks and turned his head slightly to regard his instructor. Rosie, her back still facing Quistis, rolled her eyes at the cheap insinuation the blonde had made. She´d never liked that part. A woman like the instructor shouldn´t lower herself to that level.

Quistis chuckled "I´m just kidding, trying to keep you relaxed, that´s all."

_Yeah, right. And I´m Mother Theresa._ thought Rosie, deciding to keep her words. Instead, the raven-haired just resumed her way.

Squall nodded silently at Quistis and continued his journey as well.

After walking 5 more minutes, Ifrit´s lair was finally visible: a rock island floating in the middle of a hot lava lake, conected to the main area of the cavern by a large, narrow, stone corridor. They were about to cross the bridge, when a sudden roar was heard. The low-pitched sound echoed through the cavern, so neither the instructor nor the cadets were able to pin-point its source´s precise direction.

Looking around, Rosie´s eyes detected a faint movement on her right. Turning quickly, her dark eyes widened when she discovered a sphere emerging from the lava lake.

"Bomb!" she called out.

The others retreated slightly to a wider part of the cavern, so they could fight freely. The creature followed them, floating in mid-air. It´s body was formed by large flames that sent a reddish hue over the cavern´s walls, lighting up the passage with its crimson light. The Bomb made a couple of weird noices and Rosie could see more of this creatures emerging from the lava, while other huge three-winged bat-like creatures descended from the cavern´s ceiling.

"There are some Buels too." Quistis stated, uncoiling the whip at her side.

They were surrounded.

Rosie focused her magic on the first Bomb ready to release an ice spell. This time, instead of the heated sensation coursing through her body, the raven-haired´s insides were refreshed and she could feel the energy centring on the tips of her fingers, painlessly freezing the sensitive skin. She extended her hand towards the monster.

"Blizzard!"

The Bomb´s fire was extinguished by the chill spell, and its life with it. The ball-like monster collapsed to the floor, resembling more a dry rock than something that had once been alive.

Deciding not to give the humans chance to eliminate another one of their kind, the other Bombs lunged towards the cadets. One of them casting a Fire spell, which Rosie barely avoided by ducking. Squall released a Blizzard, hitting another Bomb.

Just 2 more left and 9 minutes to go...

Quistis´s whip had eliminated the Buels, not giving them the chance to attack her students with their magic. Those monsters were quite strong magically, but their physical strenght and defense were almost null. Thus, the instructor decided to let the cadets deal with the most powerful monsters this part of Balamb had to offer.

Still ducking, the raven-haired released another of her ice spells, hitting a Bomb on its right side. The monster emited a painful shriek and collapsed. Squall had done the same to the last Bomb, killing it instantly. He turned towards Rosie who was just climbing to her feet, when suddenly the Bomb she had attacked floated behind the young man. To her dismay, the monster started sucking up air.

_It´s about to explode!! SQUALL!!_

As fast as she could, the raven-haired grabbed the other cadet´s hand and used all her strenght to pull him away from the monster while releasing another Blizzard. The magic enveloped the monster just as it exploded, icy shards blowing up everywhere.

Having collapsed due to Squall´s weight and Rosie´s momentum, the two of them laid on the cavern´s floor, him on top. Though not even a minute passed, time seemed to freeze for the raven-haired and her heart skipped a beat as she found herself unable to move a single muscle. He was so close, she could feel his breath on her skin. A deep blush spread through her cheeks and for the first time since setting foot on the cave, Rosie blessed the overwhelming heat that helped to hide her flushed face.

When Squall realized his position over her, he immediately bolted to his feet, turning around so neither woman could see the frightened expression his eyes surely held. Rosie stood up and sighed both in relief and a little dissapointment that the little encounter had ended.

"Well done, both of you." Quistis said as she approached through the Bomb´s frozen remains. "Let´s go, you´ve got only 8 minutes left."

Finally arriving at Ifrit´s lair, Rosie was astonished by the immense heat that revolved around the place. A huge hole stood in the middle of the rocky island, forming a pool of lava.

Quistis approached Squall nodded "Guess I was right." He turned slightly to face her and the blonde continued "You and Seifer are in a class of your own. Both have amazing strenght and potencial."

Squall didn´t like the compliment. Being compared to Seifer was one of the things he hated the most.

His attention was drawn suddenly when the lava in the pool started to boil as if it were water. The temperature in the already hot chamber increased and Rosie could feel, though she didn´t know how, the huge magical energy emitted by the fire elemental GF.

Quistis retreated a couple of steps, taking her back-up position "Okay, this is it. Are you ready?"

_Maybe in 5 or 6 years..._ Instead of speaking her mind, Rosie just answered "Yeah". She couldn´t have handled more than a one-syllable word at that moment.

She was terrified.

Squall kept his cool demeanor and unsheathed Revolver. Quistis watched him, nodding approvingly "You seem confident enough." The instructor´s eyes then shifted to the raven-haired, detecting a faint trembling.

_Rosie is another story... maybe she´s not ready to be a SeeD. I guess I´ll have to wait and see what she´s capable of._

Squall adopted a ready stance in front of the lava pool and waited. Ifrit didn´t disappoint him. Blasts of red and yellow energy were released from the center of the island, announcing the Guardian´s presence.

Suddenly, a huge form emerged from the flames, its roar shaking the chamber´s walls. When it set foot on the island, the ground trembled. Rosie looked amazed at the majesty of the legendary creature in front of her. It´s eyes were yellow, fierce and glowed with inner fire. The GF was twice as taller as Squall, and well musculed. It´s massive paws displayed huge black, razor-sharp claws. A fiery red mane and two long, black horns adorned its cat-like head. The creature looked at the mortals in front of him and roared again.

The mighty Lord of the Flames, Ifrit, was ready for the challenge.


	8. Chapter 8 The Flame Guardian

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII..._

**Unexpected Destiny **

**Chapter 8: The Flame Guardian**

By CelestialRage

Ifrit´s roar sent chills down her spine.

_Well, Rosie... this is it!! If you are going to pass the SeeD field exam, you better concentrate on this and do it well. _

The raven-haired took a deep breath and steeled herself for what awaited her in the next few minutes. This would be a hard battle, but if she wanted to be with Squall, she´ll have to set aside her fears and do her best in the battlefield.

Rosie summoned her energy and send a Blizzard to the GF in front of her. Ifrit roared in pain as the spell hit its right leg momentarily freezing it in place. Rosie smirked, the chill magic will help defeat Ifrit easily. Much to her astonishment, the ice started to melt, leaving the Guardian as good as new.

Okay... maybe this would be a little more difficult than she thought.

Squall jumped backwards as the gigantic GF smashed its fist on the ground just where the brunet had been standing mere seconds before. The Flame Lord turned then towards Rosie, its large, heavy arm swinging in her general direction. She ducked and then rolled to her left side, casting another ice spell on Ifrit´s face. Squall used this opportunity to slash the Guardian´s side and back, before rolling right, avoiding the creature´s punches.

_I have to admit, that move was well done. Rosie blinded Ifrit long enough for Squall to damage it. Good teamwork._ Quistis smiled as she watched the battle unfold.

Ifrit was pissed.

It increased the heat around its body and melted the ice on its face, before a powerful roar shook the cavern´s walls once more.

"**IMPRUDENT HUMANS!!"** growled the Flame Guardian in rage before resuming his attack.

The huge GF brought his right arm back and called upon a powerful Fire spell. Squall deflected it with his gunblade, the magic blast exploding against a wall a few feet from him. Rosie attacked, her Blizzard spell targeting Ifrit´s head again. The Guardian detected her movements and increased the heat around it, the chill air of the cadet´s spell drying instantly while its left arm lunged for the offender.

Rosie barely managed to escape Ifrit´s intent as she rolled to her right. Squall let an ice spell of his own fly against the GF, trapping its left leg. The raven-haired turned around quickly and threw another spell to the Guardian´s legs, freezing its bulky frame in place. Squall lunged and brought Revolver across the Flame Lord´s back, slashing the hot, hard flesh and eliciting a deep, loud, painful roar that shaked the cavern´s walls.

The brunet lunged forward, ducking the punch Ifrit had thrown him and slashed again under the Guardian´s armpit, this time pulling the gunblade´s trigger and causing massive damage on the heated flesh. At the same time, Rosie focused and threw another ice spell at Ifrit´s injured back, gaining another painful roar from the creature.

Squall was about to attack again when he noticed a bright light enveloping the GF´s form. When the flash receded, the brunet´s eyes narrowed as he noticed the nasty-looking gashes Revolver had opened on Ifrit´s skin were gone.

It had cured itself.

_Damn!_

Rosie saw this too and cringed a little when the Flame Guardian turned its head to look at the humans that had dared challenged his power and smirked evily.

_Okay, this needs a different approach. _Squall considered his options and decided magic was the best way to defeat Ifrit. _Let´s see what you can do against this! _ The brunet concentrated his energy, reaching inside his mind to the powerful entity that was junctioned to him.

The Flame Lord saw what Squall was about to do and brought his right arm backwards in a flickering motion before a fire ball was sent in the cadet´s direction. Rosie watched Ifrit´s movements and cast an ice spell in front of Squall, the chill air preventing the fire blast from damaging the brunet. Squall, who had brought up Revolver in order to deflect the attack, looked at the young woman briefly and then was enveloped by a bright light that almost made him invisible.

Chill air blowed in circles and an icicle emerged from the cavern´s floor. Inside was a beautiful woman (or a feminine form for that matter) of pale skin, blue as a frozen lake. She moved, causing the icicle to shatter in hundreds of icy pieces that revolved around her floating form. Looking in front of her, the otherworldlym woman watched as Ifrit´s eyes widened.

She smirked.

"**THEY HAVE SHIVA!!" **The Flame Guardian roared.

The frozen nymph brought her arms back above her head and focused all her magical powers, the ice shards that had been surrounding her lithe form massed in her palms while a bright, white flash lightened up the dark, hot chamber. Shiva thrusted her arms in the other GF´s direction and a thick layer of ice formed all the way leading to Ifrit´s position, making the hot temperature drop down several degrees under zero, as chill air filled the cavern.

Rosie hugged herself, shielding her body as much as she could from the sudden cold. _Now I know why he always wears that jacket!!_ A slight touch on her shoulder made her nearly jump out of her skin. However, all fear was dissipated as she turned to find Squall crouching behind her.

"Shiva might hurt Ifrit badly, but I don´t think he´ll be done with that. We need to neutralize him." said the brunet, his eyes never leaving the battle between the Guardians.

"What do you suggest?" asked the raven-haired, trembling due to the freezing temperature.

"More magic, several blasts at the same time. And once he´s frozen..."

She interrupted him "...you´ll finish him off with your gunblade, right?"

He nodded, his stormy eyes finally meeting hers.

Rosie smiled "Sounds like we´ve got a plan." she took a deep breath and readied herself, focusing her energy once again. She was tired, but not as much as she had been when she cast her first spells.

_Guess I´m getting used to it._

Shiva´s attack finished and she vanished, the ice layer shattering and revolving around Ifrit, further damaging the Flame Lord. The Guardian´s roar was weak, yet powerful. Squall looked at Rosie and nodded. She mirrored his actions and both cast their ice spells at the spent Ifrit.

The GF turned to face the humans and used its magic against them, several fireballs flew from behind Ifrit towards the young cadets. Both magical energies collided, nullifying each other, and creating a thick fog inside the chamber.

Rosie narrowed her eyes in a vain attempt to see through the dense veil. Suddenly, something hit her right side hard, sending the raven-haired several feet away. She landed on her back, her hands immediately clutching her injured ribs. Squall felt the breeze caused by Rosie´s body as she was thrown by Ifrit´s feral punch. He bolted towards her but was cut off by the giant GF´s body looming over him. Revolver was brought up to parry the deadly blow Ifrit sent his way. The brunet rolled to his side, sending another ice spell towards the Guardian, freezing its left arm.

This only served to further piss off the already enraged Guardian.

It lunged towards Squall, a couple of fireballs flying in his direction. The brunet deflected one with his gunblade and ducked under the other. He cast another spell, this time hitting its right leg. To his surprise, another spell captured Ifrit´s right leg, leaving it unable to move. Squall looked through the now vanishing fog and saw Rosie laying on her side a few feet away, a frown on her face and her left hand on her ribs while her right slowly dropped to the floor after casting the ice magic.

The brunet directed his attention to Ifrit. Gunblade prepared, Squall lunged forward and thrusted Revolver inside his paralized opponent´s chest.

The Guardian´s free arm shot back ready to cast a fireball right in Squall´s face, but another Blizzard cast by Rosie prevented it from doing so. The cadet had already ducked to avoid the blast and shot his entire gunblade rounds towards the creature´s muscular chest, opening a deadly wound.

Ifrit´s huge frame dropped heavily to its knees, the ice trapping its paws shattering under its massive weight. Breathing with difficulty, the Flame Lord granted both cadets the victory and bowed its head in sign of surrender.

"**FOR ME TO LOOSE TO A HUMAN!" **muttered the Guardian in its deep, reverberating voice. "**... VERY WELL, I WILL JOIN YOU."**

Squall bowed his head slightly at the now defeated GF, regarding him as an honorable contrincant. A gasp was heard to his far left, making the brunet turn towards the source.

Quistis was kneeling next to the injured cadet, her right hand was enveloped in a bright blue hue as she rested it on the raven-haired´s side. Rosie gasped slightly as the curative magic worked in her body, regenerating her cells and sealing her broken rib. She felt suddenly refreshed and calm, as if she had just come out of the shower after having a hard work day.

The pain and fatigue were amazingly gone.

She turned to face her healer and smiled "Thank you, instructor."

Quistis smiled back, shaking her head and dismissing the raven-haired´s thanks "I´m glad you´re ok." Standing up, the blonde´s attention focused on Squall "Well done..." She said, before returning it to Rosie, who was already climbing to her feet and adding "... both of you."

Suddenly, the GF´s powerful voice filled the chamber again. "**WHO OF YOU, MIGHTY HUMANS, SHALL I SERVE?" **Ifrit was still kneeling, calmly glancing at the young cadets. The teens noticed the huge body was already healed, the heated skin not even sporting a scar from the nasty wounds the brunet´s gunblade had made.

Rosie and Squall exchanged a quick look, before turning their gazes to the waiting Guardian. Pointing at each other, their voices amusingly raised at the same time.

"Her."

"Him"

Astonished, the raven-haired laughed, the smooth sound reverberating through the now silent chamber. The brunet folded his arms and remained silent.

Quistis smiled at the exchange. "You have to decide soon, there´s only 2 minutes left and we still have to head back."

"You keep it" Squall looked at Rosie and motioned vaguely with his arm. "Seems you feel a lot more comfortable using only magic, after all, you didn´t bring a weapon."

The raven-haired frowned.

That´s only because I don´t have one.

I don´t know... Junctioning one GF was really weird, what if something bad happens to my brain if I junction another? I don´t want to risk it until I have practiced a little more...

Rosie shook her head, lowering her gaze to the cavern´s floor "Mmm... I don´t think that´s fair. You did most of the job back there." She looked back at Squall, locking their gazes for a moment and smiled "Tell you what, you keep this one and I´ll take the next." Her smile growing wider for a second, she turned around and started walking towards the entrance of the cavern, leaving him no room for arguments.

Squall looked her retreating frame. The raven-haired crossed the bridge and suddenly came to a halt. She turned to the others and waved over for them "C´mon, we have very little time left!"

Quistis smiled and looked at the brunet "Seems she´s got the upper hand here, uh?"

His only response was a small, indiferent shrug before he turned towards the waiting Guardian. Squall focused his energy and extended his right hand. Immediately, Ifrit´s form became transparent, a fiery red and amber light shinning in its instead. It floated towards the brunet and enveloped him making his body emit a crimson light for a second.

Then the bright hue was gone and the only light´s source inside the chamber was the hot lava lake.


	9. Chapter 9 Preparations and other issues

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII..._

**Unexpected Destiny **

**Chapter 9: Preparations and other issues**

By CelestialRage

After Squall had junctioned with Ifrit, the three humans left the cavern, arriving just in time as the chronometer´s alarm set off. The Facutly members granted them the passing and the trio returned to Garden without any more incidents which a couple of spells couldn´t handle.

When they finally set foot on the SeeD Academy´s main entrance, Quistis turned to the cadets and smiled "Congratulations, both of you. Now all that is left is the Field Exam."

_Yeah, a walk in the park... _Rosie thought sarcastically.

The blonde nodded "Change into your uniforms and assemble at the main hall´s directory. We´ll be assigning the teams there. And remember to prepare yourselves properly."

Wordlessly, Squall started his way into Garden. Rosie´s gaze followed him as the brunet entered through the gates, the direction her wandering eyes chose to focus, making the raven-haired blush a little.

After he was lost from sight, Rosie settled herself and turned to Quistis. "Excuse me, instructor. Do you know how many time I have left until the test?"

The blonde looked at her watch. "About 2 and a half hours. So you should use them wisely." Her tone was sharp, taking the raven-haired completely by surprise. The normally cool instructor turned and hurriedly entered Garden, leaving the cadet standing mutely.

_Wow! She was kind of angry... but why? _

Then it hit her. _Of course, she saw me watching Squall´s ... eerrhm... hair. _

_Quistis likes him and she didn´t like my little slip... _

_Well, no use worrying about that now. I´ve got more important things to think of rather than Quistis´s jelousy._

With that, Rosie started to walk towards the infirmary.

Her most important task right now was to check on Selphie.

ooo ooo

Squall arrived at his dorm. He closed the door, though it wasn´t really necessary, since nobody roomed with him.

Being a cadet, the brunet lived in common quarters, consisting in two dorms (each one with its respective door), which were connected to a small study area. To the right was the bathroom and, since it was just one per quarter, both residents would have to share it.

However, as far as he could remember, Squall had always been alone.

Seemed nobody would like to share a room with him.

Or Seifer, for what he had heard.

For the young man, that was a blessing. He couldn´t imagine having another person living with him, sharing his bathroom or study area. It just didn´t make him comfortable.

Squall discarded his common attire, folding his pants neatly on his bed and hanging his well-worn jacket on the north wall. Then he retrieved his uniform from the little drawer beside his bed. The blue and silver standard-issued Balamb Garden´s attire for cadets was quite comfortable to wear, though the brunet liked his normal black attire more.

Fortunately for him and most of the cadets, Balamb Garden wasn´t as strict in dressing code as the academy in the Galbadian continent was. He had heard that several students from that Garden were expelled for wearing anything different than the standard uniform.

Finally changed, Squall proceeded to inspect his weapon´s mechanism. After double checking everything was in order, he realoded the barrel and cleaned the few blood strains left in the blade´s surface. Most of the crimson spots were from the T-Rexaur he had slashed in order to protect Rosie and the other girl, Selphie.

Why had he followed them to the Training Center in the first place?

He was still sorting out those thoughts...

ooo ooo

Rosie entered the infirmary, halting as she detected the physician working in a nearby examination table.

Doctor Kadowaki, who was attending a little girl, greeted the raven-haired youth. "Come in, dear."

"Thanks, doctor." Smiling, Rosie approached the older woman and noticed the bandages she was applying to the girl´s right leg. The raven-haired smiled wider as the younger cadet turned to look at her. "Hey, sweetie. What happened to you?"

The little girl shook her head, causing her red, curly hair to sway "My best friend Lucy and I were practicing our aim using some rocks and a couple of targets. I told her I was going to retrieve some of the pebbles I had thrown, but when I was picking them up, she threw another rock and hit my leg."

"I´m sure she didn´t hear you." Rosie continued. "I´ve had a couple of accidents like that myself."

"Really?"

She nodded "Yeah, once I hit my sister on the head... she´s never been the same"

The little girl´s eyes widened in horror.

Rosie chuckled "I´m kidding! I´m sure Lucy didn´t mean to hurt you." Smiling softly, the raven-haired rested the palm of her right hand on the soft, fiery red, curly hair. "You kind of remind me of my sister when she had your age." Feeling nostalgic of a sudden, Rosie turned her head to the side so neither the girl nor the doctor could see the pain in her eyes. She took a deep breath and steadied herself.

"Where is she?" asked the cadet tilting her head slightly to the side.

"She´s in our home, but it´s so far away from here..." deciding to drop the subject, Rosie smiled again at the girl "Anyway, what´s your name?"

"I´m Rachel."

"That´s quite a nice name. Well, nice to meet you, Rachel, I´m Rosie."

Kadowaki´s voice interrupted the conversation as she finished bandaging the injured leg. "There. You´re ready to go, Rachel. Although it was a scratch, we better keep it like this to prevent any infections." she handed the kid a slim white tube. "Take this ointment and apply it after your bath. Remember to keep your injure clean, ok?"

"Yes, doctor. Thank you." The child smiled brightly as the older woman put her down from the high examination table and settled her on the floor. She turned to the teen and nodded "I have to return to class. I´ll see you later, Rosie."

The raven-haired smiled back at the girl and patted her on the head "Sure." Rosie watched as the little redhead exited the infirmary.

_She can´t be above 7 years-old... _Suddenly the nature of the education the kids in Garden had to endure hit her._ This kids should be playing around, learning how to multiply or divide, not how to defeat a fire-breathing Ruby Dragon. Most of them won´t have a happy childhood to remember..._

The doctor´s voice cut her out of her reverie. "Well, looks like you made it back from the Fire Cavern test. How was it?"

Rosie turned to face the older woman and smiled "Great. We passed."

"Congratulations, dear. I´m sure your friend will be glad to hear those news." Kadowaki approached her desk and took a folded piece of paper, which she handed Rosie. "Told me to deliver this to you once you came back."

"Thanks." The teen read the note. It only figured Selphie´s dorm number. "I have to go. Thank you again for taking care of Selphie."

The doctor nodded, smiling and watched the raven-haired leave hurriedly.

ooo ooo

The door opened.

"Hey, Rosie! I see you´re still in one piece!"

She frowned, a playful smile on her lips. "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Selph."

The brunette giggled, then took her friend´s hand and pulled her inside her dorm. "Well, how did it go? And I want details."

After Rosie had answered all the questions Selphie was able to formulate - which took them around half an hour - she stood from her position on the floor and said "I must go. I have to get ready for the test." Then she took her metallic keycard and asked "Do you have any idea where my dorm is located?"

Selphie took the card, inspecting the bright surface for a second "Yeah. Look, here´s the dorm number." Her finger pointed at the lower right corner.

A dark eyebrow raised in surprise "I thought that was my student ID or something like that."

The brunette nodded while handing her friend the key back "Yeah, this cards can be pretty confusing. But at least your dorm isn´t far away. It´s only 5 doors down this corridor."

The raven-haired smiled "Great! Well, see you later, Selphie."

ooo ooo

Rosie´s eyes opened.

She reached for the clock beside her bed and set the alarm off. Stretching her body, she looked at the time. It was 3:20 p.m., only 40 minutes to go for the test.

When the raven-haired had arrived to her quarters, she noticed the right dorm had already been conditioned so she could move in. The left one was still locked and seemed nobody was going to room with her. Upon entering her room, she found a uniform folded neatly and still inside a plastic holder that displayed Garden´s emblem, on her bed. Over the shelf embedded on the wall near the mattress were a couple of books, whose titles – _Garden Internal Procedures Code _and_ Garden´s Regulations – _promised the volumes would remain untouched for a long while. There was a little drawer beside her bed and on top of it was an alarm clock.

Her dorm was exactly as she had seen Squall´s to be in the game. Even the plant in front of the main door was there.

What caught her offguard was the bathroom. She hadn´t seen any bathrooms appear in the game, and this one was smaller than she had ever thought it would be. There was barely enough place for all the needed furniture, of course there was no tub just a shower. Fortunatelly for her, the bathroom was well provided: there was soap, hairbrush, comb, body lotion, shampoo, toothpaste, teethbrush, toilet paper, and even a couple of towels.

_At least I won´t have to go shopping soon..._

She settled on the mattress and sighed.

She was tired, but there was something else she had to do before resting a little. Rosie closed her eyes and called to the entity junctioned to her mind. Quetzalcoatl´s sharp and powerful voice responded from her insides.

**What is your concern?**

_Well... I want to know how to strenghten myself with the magic I´ve stored._ As Rosie had seen in the game, the characters used different kinds of magic to strenghten certain aspects of their person like speed, strenght, defense, magical power, etc. If she could improve her current status, then she would have a better chance to pass the Field Exam.

**Close your eyes and concentrate on the spell you want to junction.**

She followed the GF´s instructions, focusing her attention on the Fire´s stock she had.

**Good. Now think of that you would like to strenghten and channel the energy of the spell to that area.**

_But how can I strenghten my defense, for example?_

**If you focus on your skin, then the energy of the spell will envelope it, making it harder to slash or pierce.**

_Skin hard as iron... I see why SeeDs lack romance._

If there was a way of mentally rolling one´s eyes, Quetzalcoatl did at that moment. **You want to know how to junction magic or not?**

_Yeah, sorry! That thought just slipped... So if I want to strenghten my magical power, then... I should focus in... my mind?_

**Bingo**

_I see... of course, that´s where the GF´s reside and the part that focuses the energy in order to cast or draw magic._

**You have the theory, now try it.**

Rosie concentrated again, focusing all her energy on the Fire magic she stored, a warm feeling coursed through her body just as when she first cast this kind of spell against the grats in the Training Center. She willed the spells to move, but nothing happened.

Ten more times she repeated the process and failed.

She sighed. _Seems I can´t do it right..._

**You are not concentrating enough on the spell. Maybe if you use a metaphor, a mind-created image, it wouldn´t be that hard.**

Rosie nodded. Quetzalcoatl may be right, she had to focus further on the Fires if she wanted to strenghten herself. She gave it another shot. Focusing on the selected magic, the raven-haired mentally pictured the spell as an amber light and willed it to move, to envelope her mind, while at the same time she imagined the movement of the light around her brain. The light did as commanded and she could feel as if a little flame burned inside her skull.

**Well done. **

"Yeah!!" She threw her arms up the air and collapsed on the bed. Looking at the white ceiling, Rosie smiled. _Thanks, Quetzalcoatl._

The Guardian only nodded in reply... if there was a way for mentally nodding.

After her junctioning lesson, the raven-haired had decided to take a nap so she would be refreshed and ready for the test. Once she woke up, she headed to the bathroom. A quick shower would surely help her stir.

When she got out of the bathroom, Rosie had already changed her mind about the shopping.

The cadet finished dressing. She had tied her hair once more in a high ponytail, the task of combing it had been nearly impossible thanks to the shampoo´s lack of hair conditioner.

The raven-haired looked at the full-body mirror embedded in the wall opposite to her bed and smiled. She couldn´t believe she was attired in Balamb Garden´s blue uniform! The fabric felt soft against her skin, making Rosie wonder what kind of material was used to produce them. The silver-lined collar and shoulders contrasted beautifully with the large, yellow bun tied just below her neck. Her eyes wandered to the lower half of her body...

She frowned.

Her hands stretched the skirt she was wearing. _I bet whoever designed this uniform is male. How am I supposed to fight if I can´t keep my mind focused on anything else besides moving slowly so I don´t show my panties to everyone?_

When she stopped stretching the mini blue garment, it returned to its original position half the way up her thigh.

Rosie rolled her eyes and sighed.

At least the boots were comfortable.


	10. Chapter 10 Squads

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII..._

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 10: Squads**

By CelestialRage

When Rosie arrived to the directory, Quistis and other SeeDs she didn´t know, as well as a good number of students, were already assembled there. She approached the blonde woman and smiled.

"Hi, Instructor!"

Quistis turned to see the recently arrived girl and returned the gesture, although the raven-haired could see it was a little forced. "Rosie, hi. I see you´re ready for the test." As the teen nodded, the instructor checked the list she was holding "Well, let´s see your assigned team is..."

_Squad B! Squad B! I want to be with Squall..._ Rosie crossed her fingers behind her back and closed her eyes, praying she was in...

"... Squad C."

_WHAT!!_

_Squad C?! _

_I don´t even get to be with Selphie! That list must be wrong!!_

Rosie resisted the urge to speak her mind, only venturing a low "Are you sure?"

Quistis checked the list again "Yeah, I´m possitive." She looked at the cadet and noticing her sad demeanor, said "Hey, cheer up. You´ve been given the team leader role."

"WHAT?!" the raven-haired´s scream gained the looks of the students and instructors around. Noticing she was the center of attention, Rosie smiled shyly and offered a quiet "Sorry." before turning her stare to Quisits and repeating in a lower voice "What?!"

The blonde woman chuckled. "Cid thought your development in the Fire Cavern and written tests had earned you the chance to lead a team. Aren´t you happy?"

Rosie giggled nervously "Yeah, charmed..."

_What am I going to do now?! _

_I can´t lead a team! I barely know how to cast basic magic and I don´t even have a & weapon!!_

Oblivion to Rosie´s internal panic, Quistis pointed at a tall, wide-shouldered SeeD standing near the hall leading to the library. "That´s instructor Aki, he´ll be in charge of your team. He´ll give you all the info on the mission."

"Thanks, instructor" the still shocked raven-haired turned to leave but stopped at the sound of Quistis´s voice.

"And Rosie... good luck."

The cadet turned her head towards the blonde and smiled "You too." with that, she walked away.

ooo ooo

Squall turned the corner leading to the main hall.

He spotted Quistis, who was standing just in front of the directory. The blonde was talking with Rosie, whose jeans and shirt were now replaced by the feminine version of Balamb Garden´s uniform. The brunet watched as she walked through the hall, stopping in front of instructor Aki.

_He must be the one in charge of the team she´ll be in. I´ve heard he´s kind of harsh and strict... I wonder if..._

"Squall! Over here!" Quistis´s voice interrupted his thoughts.

Shaking his head, the brunet decided it was best to focus on the task at hand.

There will be time for everything else.

When he reached the blonde SeeD, she smiled and said "Glad you made it." Quistis looked at the list again "Well... let´s see. You´re in... Squad B... mmhhh... seems you´re going to team up with Zell Dincht." She looked at him and smiled again "Quite a lively fellow".

Squall frowned.

_Zell..._

A hand to hand combat specialist the brunet had known for quite some time. Although many people considered martial arts to be a good way to find both physical and emotional balance, Zell proved to be the exception of that rule. His impulsive nature and loud mouth usually got him in trouble.

Especially if Seifer was near.

Squall didn´t know why but it seemed Seifer found a especial delight in torturing the younger cadet.

His frown deepened. The last thing the brunet wanted – or needed – was to be stuck in the Field exam with the hot tempered martial artist.

"He´s just loud. Can´t I switch members?" He asked, placing a hand on his hip.

Quistis shook her head "I´m afraid that´s not possible. The teams were selected by Headmaster Cid, so no changes are allowed." Her blue eyes wandered behind the brunet´s tall frame.

He followed her gaze and watched as Zell flawlessly executed one of his katas. Squall had noticed the blond cadet couldn´t stay still for more than a couple of minutes and usually practiced his martial arts movements whenever he was bored, which due to his hyperactive nature, was quite often.

"Zell, come here please."

Hearing Quistis´s call, the cadet finished his kata with an amazing double backwards flip and a flawless landing. Zell grinned widely and made a thumbs up at his success. When the blond noticed Squall was there, his baby-blue eyes widened.

"WHOA! I´m with you?!" his high-pitched tone gained another frown from Squall.

It was going to be a long exam...

Oblivion to the stoic cadet´s annoyance, Zell wipped off his right gloved hand on his pants and held it out for the brunet. Squall´s only reaction was to gaze at the extended hand and turn his head to the side. The martial artist frowned. He had heard of Squall´s legendary cold nature and lone wolf reputation, but had never witnessed it himself.

_Well, let´s see if I can get a reaction out of you with this..._

The blond smiled slightly and retreated his hand "So, heard Seifer whopped you pretty bad this morning."

Squall folded his arms and look at Zell out the corner of his eyes. "We weren´t fighting, we were training."

_Yeah, sure._ the blond thought, barely able to refrain from rolling his eyes. Everybody in Garden knew the two gunbladers got along as much as Shiva and Ifrit would. Zell was about to say something else, but the brunet´s expression hardened further, making the impulsive teenager to think it better and finally decide not to push his luck.

Instead, the blond shook his head "Look, Seifer´s a mayor pain in the ass. Why don´t you just ignore him?"

Squall closed his eyes.

_It isn´t as easy as everyone thinks... I won´t run away from him or anyone else. _

_Never._

Finally, the brunet stated "That´s-"

"-not of your business" finished Quistis. Having been near the stoic teenager for quite a long time, the blonde understood almost every aspect of his cold and ruthless personality. He became so predictable to her, she could finish most of his sentences easily.

Her sudden intervention caught both cadets' attention. The instructor forced herself to draw a deep breath before going on.

She had some bad news for both of them.

"Excuse me... but that Seifer you´re talking about... Well... he´s your squad leader." Her voice shrank a little at the end of her statement. She knew what kind of reaction this news would most likely have.

Zell didn't disappoint her

"SAY WHAT??" Some students later swore that Zell´s shout was audible even inside the crowded cafeteria.

Squall´s collected demeanor didn´t betray the whole cursing phase he was going through.

Before any of them could protest further, Quistis shook her head "It can´t be changed, sorry." Her gaze wandered through the hall and not spoting Almasy, she called "Seifer, are you here?"

"Yes, dear instructor." The condescending tone his voice carried, irritated the blonde. She frowned and turned towards the upcoming Disciplinary Comittee. The SeeD was astonished to see Seifer hadn´t bothered in changing his clothes and was sporting his trademark white trenchcoat and black pants, despite the order all field participants were given regarding their attire for the event.

She shook her head, seemed the irritating blond would never have respect for authority.

_Well, let´s see what you can do when you´re in command._ thought Quistis, barely able to conceal the smug smirk that menaced to betray her feelings on the subject. Instead, the blonde SeeD glanced at the taller man and nonchalantly informed "You´re the squad leader."

Although Quistis rarely questioned Cid´s decisions, this one wasn´t enjoyable in the least. To think the arrogant blond would be in charge of a promising team during the most important test, made the instructor's gut clench. The SeeD figured Squall would have made a better leader, but was also sure the Headmaster had his reasons to give that responsability to Seifer.

She only hoped he didn´t screw up.

Nodding, Quistis offered the trio a small smile "Well, good luck to all of you."

"My dear instructor.." Seifer's always confident tone made the SeeD's eyes narrow ".. save those words for someone who needs them" the blond finished with a smirk.

Quistis rolled her eyes.

_Well, I can´t think of anyone who needs them more than you, buddy. It´s your third exam already. _

Deciding to erase that damn smirk from his face, the instructor smiled sweetly and nodded "Okay, then..." the blonde looked at him dead in the eyes "Good luck, Seifer."

His response was quite gratifying. The smug smirk was gone, a frown shown instead. The taller cadet turned towards his posse and growled "Add instructor Trepe to the list."

_The list? That's so immature._ thought Squall frowning.

Not bothered by Seifer's childish menace, Quistis said "Well, we´ve got all squad B members here. I´ll be the instructor in charge. Remember that teamwork is essencial."

"Listen up!" Zell and Squall turned towards the taller blond, his voice overwhelmed with confidence "Teamwork means staying out of my way. That´s a Squad B rule! Don´t forget it."

Enraged by Seifer´s arrogance, the martial artist´s body trembled in barely concealed rage. The only thing in his mind at that moment was to use the cocky blond's broader frame as a substitute for his punching bag. However - and despite the urge to erase the irritating smirk from his squad leader's face - Zell couldn't bring himself to actually attack the other blond, knowing perfectly that verbally or physically assaulting Seifer could mean expulsion from Garden.

Contrasting the energetic brawler´s nature, Squall´s neutral expression didn´t show the irritation the taller man´s comment could have incited. The brunet´s only reaction was to look sideways and mutter "Whatever."

ooo ooo

Rosie watched from the distance as the events between Squad B´s members unfold.

Several minutes earlier, she had come across Selphie, who was in a real hurry since she was late again. The brunette girl wished her friend luck and dissapeared in the growing crowd of cadets.

After the tiny cadet left, the raven-haired had tried to start a conversation with her appointed instructor. However, the older man only replied to her questions with either, shakes of his head or monosyllables, making Rosie seriously wonder if he didn´t happen to be a long-lost relative of Squall.

With the brunet´s image in her mind, the raven-haired scanned the huge hall spotting Quistis, Zell and the stoic cadet in the distance. Smiling at the sight of Squall, Rosie´s gesture soon transformed into a smirk at the thought that at least, she had found another way to entretain herself.

Minutes passed by and though she tried, the raven-haired found it impossible to look away.

_He´s so handsome... _

_And that blue uniform really suits him well... _

_I´m glad he didn´t zip up the jacket like the other cadets, I love how he looks in that white shirt. _

She frowned, mentally cursing her bad luck. _Why wasn´t I assigned to his team?! _

She sighed. _Well, Rosie see the brighter side of it. If you were appointed to be in his squad, you wouldn´t be able to stare at him like this._

_And furthermore, you can´t keep your eyes away from him, so how do you intend to focus on the mission? Besides-_

"Excuse me."

Rosie jumped at the sudden interruption. Quickly turning to face the owner of the voice, she was greeted by the sight of a slender, fragile-looking girl with glasses. Her copper hair resembled Squall´s, though hers was larger and cut in a mushroom-like style. As every other cadet standing in the vicinity - except for Seifer, of course - she was attired in the blue and silver Garden´s uniform.

The brunette wouldn´t have dragged Rosie´s curious gaze further if it weren´t for the large and heavy-looking weapon strappled to her back.

"Hi, my name´s Thelma. Are you one of my comrades from Squad C?"

"Yeah. I´m Rosie." The raven-haired said as she extended her hand to the other girl.

The brunette accepted the offered hand and shook it vigorously. Too vigorously for Rosie´s comfort. Apparently this weak-looking girl had quite the strenght. Thelma smiled "Well, nice to meet you. So you´re our squad leader, right?"

Rosie nodded.

_But not because I want to._

"Cool! Has instructor Aki told you anything about the mission?"

The raven-haired shook her head "Nope, not yet. I went to report with him and asked about it, but he just told me to wait... and that was like 20 minutes ago."

"I see." Thelma looked around. Most of the students were already assembled in three-members groups. "Seems we´re still one short, uh?"

"I guess." Rosie muttered, her gaze lost again in Squall´s direction.

Suddenly, a figure blocked her vision and made her jump again. The raven-haired looked up and her gaze locked with a pair of almond eyes. The guy in front of her was slightly taller, dark-haired and kept his short mane well combed backwards. A grin lightened his face, apparently he found rather amusing scaring the hell out of unaware girls.

Rosie frowned and dryly asking. "Problem?"

The male cadet´s grin widened as he shook his head "Not at all, miss. I just came to report with my squad leader. Her name´s Rossane."

"That´s Rosie. I hate when people call me Rossane." Replied the raven-haired folding her arms, her frown deepening slightly.

"Ok, Rosie then." The teen extended his hand, which she accepted despite still being angry at his sudden intervention. "My name´s Nida, nice to meet you."

Rosie´s eyes widened.

_Nida?! _

_The guy who pilots the Garden later in the game!! I didn´t think he would be in my team!_

Managing to chase away some of her shock, the raven-haired smiled "Well, nice to meet you too."

"Seems we´re finally complete." The three cadets turned to see instructor Aki aproaching. He was a tall, well-muscled man around his thirties, one of the veteran SeeDs from Balamb Garden. Alas, a serious injure in his leg had forced him to abandon field duty, the older man now dedicating his life to teach the next SeeD generations.

His blue, sharp gaze turned to Nida "You´re quite late, cadet. That won´t look good in your report."

The dark-haired teen cringed slightly "Sorry, sir."

Aki was about to say something else, but was suddenly interrupted by a voice descending the main staircase. "Is everyone here?"

All eyes, students and SeeDs alike, settled on the approaching Headmaster. At once, every single member of Garden stood in attention. Rosie fell behind from the rest slightly, as the military protocol was still alien to her.

Cid smiled at the sight of _his_ cadets as evident pride lightened his gaze. The Heademaster´s expression ressembled that of a satisfied father. And in certain way he was, not only because he was the top authority of the SeeD institution, but also because Cid´s responsabilities never kept the older man from lending a helping hand or just a friendly ear to those under his tutelage.

The Headmaster stood in front of the SeeD candidates and smiled "It´s been a while. How´s everyone doing?" His gaze wandered from face to face, detecting some small smiles as reply to his querry. Cid nodded, clearing his throat before his voice acquired a bussiness-like tone "This exam will involve 4 squads, from A to D. You´re proceeding into a real battlefield, so of course the battles are for real." The older man´s smile had long since gone, now replaced by a serious look on his face and the solemnity added to his voice "Life or death, victory and defeat, honor and disgrace... all are the sides of the same coin. There´s only one or another"

He made a pause and stared again at the cadets with a piercing gaze. "So how about it? Are you still up for it?" After another pause, he said "You´ll be accompanied by 6 SeeDs, plus the instructors assigned to each of the squads. Should you fail to accomplish the mission, they will get the job done. They always do." The Headmaster smiled slightly at the last part and added "Well, that´s one worry less from your minds."

Cid stepped forward a couple of paces and signaled at the instructors standing in front of each squad. "The pride of Balamb Garden! The elite mercenary force SeeD! Learn from them, obey their commands and accomplish the mission." He then pointed at the collected students in the hall "Prove yourselves worthy of becoming one of them, a member of SeeD."

His case stated, Cid´s encouraging smile returned "Best of luck to all of you."

Every SeeD and cadet in the hall saluted the Headmaster before the instructors turned towards their respective teams and ordered them to move.

"This is exciting!" Thelma said, the sentiment obvious in her voice.

"Yeah, it is." muttered Rosie concerned, as her steps carried her towards the Parking lot where the vehicles assigned for each squad were already awaiting the cadets.

ooo ooo

Squad B was the last to board the armored Garden vehicle.

They had fallen behind because Cid wanted to have a last word with what other instructors had labeled "the problematic squad". And who could blame them? The three members of that team were as docile as dynamite, and now that they were combined... well everyone expected a second Centra cataclysm to say the least.

"We still have no gunblade especialist in SeeD, that´s why we´re expecting both of you to join us." said the Headmaster as his eyes wandered between Squall and Seifer.

Both cadets saluted and remained silent.

"As for Zell..." he continued "we could use your superior martial abilities in SeeD, so please do your best too."

"I will, sir" the blond brawler said as he saluted his superior.

Cid then turned his attention to Quistis "Instructor Trepe, this is your first Field exam. We hope you use all of your leadership skills to bring this cadets back home, ready to become SeeDs. Don´t disapoint us."

The rookie instructor saluted the Headmaster as well "I won´t sir."

Satisfied with their answers, and not wanting to delay them further, the older man smiled "We have high expectations for each of you. Now go, don´t keep your comrades waiting."

Quistis turned to her team and nodded "Okay, let´s get a move on!"

ooo ooo

Packed inside the Garden vehicle, Squall kept his mind focused on the upcoming battle. He had never killed a human being... but today that was most likely going to change. Most of the SeeD field test were against human foes, most likely from the Galbadia´s army. The powerful western nation was always trying to gain new territories, invading the neighbouring countries, most of which were small and lacked the tecnology and weaponry Galbadia had.

A sudden movement interrupted his thoughts.

The brunet glanced out the corner of his eyes, watching as Zell - who was sitting at his left - shifted in his seat, apparently unable to find a comfortable position.

Quistis also watched this, a frown forming on her face at the brawler´s incessant movement. She directed a cold stare at the smaller blond, who caught the indirect and finally stayed still.

Having nothing to do was getting on Zell´s nerves, he needed to move or to have something in his hands. His gaze suddenly settled on Seifer´s gunblade, the dark, long and deadly Hyperion resting on the taller man´s lap. The martial artist had always been curious about that especific type of weapon, mostly because of their rarity as not many students chose them as their primary combat technique. And for a very valid reason: gunblades were extremely difficult to master. They required good balance and strenght to properly wield the blade and of course, knowledge on firearms, since half the weapon was from that type.

However –and despite his curiosity – Zell knew better than to ask Seifer for a chance to look closely at the gunblade. Surely the arrogant bastard would gladly split his head with it as a demonstration.

So, the martial artist decided to ask Squall. The brunet seemed less prone to open his skull.

"Yo, Squall. Show me your gunblade, will ya?"

_Not in this life, Zell. _Squall didn´t move nor said anything. If he ignored the blond long enough, he would get the indirect. Or at least, he would get bored and switch his attention to.

"C´mon, man!" the martial artist´s voice had almost become a pitiful whine.

"..." _I said no, Zell._

"Just a peek!" the teen pleaded, joining his hands in front of him as though he was praying.

"..." _NO, ZELL!! _

Finally, the blond understood that no matter how much he begged, the stoic brunet wasn´t going to lend him the weapon. Irritated, the martial artist muttered "Tch, fine..." and folding his arms with an indignated look asked "Why are you being so selfish?! Scrooge!"

_Because if I lend you my gunblade you´re most likely to kill someone or at least break it. I´m not going to risk it._

Squall remained silent, which angered Zell further.

"At least say something! What´s on your mind?"

"Nothing" Squall and Quistis said at the same time. He turned his gaze to the now laughing instructor. She found quite amusing the exchange between the cadets and couldn´t contain herself when she saw the opportunity to put in her two cents.

Squall decided to pay no further attention to any of them and return to his silent musing. He still had a lot of things in his mind.

After Quistis had managed to control her laughter, silent reigned inside the vehicle. Bored out of his mind, Zell decided to practice his katas. The martial artist stood up and started to feign he was battling an invisible adversary with fluid and quick strikes.

The blond had been like this for a couple of minutes, and could have certainly continued with his imaginary combat until they reached Dollet, but Seifer decided he´d had enough of the brawler´s incessant movement. Couldn´t he just sit down still for five minutes? Was it really asking much? The taller gunblader didn´t know, nor care.

But it had to stop.

Sending a vicious glare at the martial artist, the squad captain growled "Stop that. It´s annoying..." his trademark smirk appeared "...chicken-wuss"

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" Zell´s enraged voice boomed through the entire vehicle. The blond had enough of Seifer´s cocky attitude and was more than ready to beat some humility into that thick skull of his.

The jade-eyed man, on the other hand, found the martial artist´s rage rather amusing, his deep, throaty laughter replacing Zell´s infuriated shouts. At Seifer´s reaction, the already mad brawler became even more enraged. The cadet advanced towards the squad leader, his body stiff and ready for the fight.

However, before Zell had even crossed half the distance separating him from the other blond, Quistis stood up halting the brawlers advance. Her stern tone and dreadful glare left no room for arguments "Knock it off!"

The martial artist reluctantly sat down and continued to glare menacingly at Seifer, whose laughter had died down but still sported an amused smirk on his face.

A moment of blessed silence followed and Squall was quickly immersed in his thoughts again. The exchange between Seifer and Zell reminded him of his previous encounters with the arrogant blond. That morning´s event especially teasing his mind.

Both teenagers had gone to the hills north of Balamb Garden in order to "train" ... or that´s what they´d said.

The truth was Seifer had challenged Squall and he had accepted.

The whole thing was over pride.

The fight had gone as even as the brunet had thought it would be until Seifer had used that Fire spell on him, sending Squall flying nearly 10 feet away. The cheating bastard! They´d agreed no magic was allowed! But that was not all, while the brunet was getting on his feet again, the taller man had seized the oportunity and slashed Squall´s forehead leaving him scarred for life. Squall, of course, had gladly returned his rival the favor and both ended in the Garden´s infirmary.

The brunet suddenly remembered that when he was lying on the bed (after waking up from the surgery he had to go through in order to close the gash Hyperion´s blade had opened on his forehead) a girl had greeted him.

He remembered her saying "Squall, so we meet again."

The thing was... he didn´t think he had met her before.

_Who was her? I couldn´t take a good look at her face, but she didn´t seem familiar... I remember Quistis entered the room just after the girl left, so maybe she can tell me who she is._

"...Instructor" The three occupants of the vehicle turned their stares to Squall, whose eyes were locked on the blonde woman in front of him. "Who was the girl in the infirmary this morning?"

Quistis expression turned thoughtful, trying to remember if there was anyone else beside the brunet in the infirmary. She had been so worried about his well-being that she hardly noticed anyone else. "Was someone there? I can´t remember." She then looked him in the eyes "Is there a problem?"

His stare settled on the floor. "No..." maybe had been allucinating thanks to a side-effect from the anesthesia "... not really"

Seifer smirked.

Squall Leonhart was interested in a girl? **That **was certainly something you didn´t see every day. Seemed the taciturn boy´s hormones had finally come into play... and about time, in the blond´s opinion.

Amused, Seifer chuckled "This is great. I´ve got chicken-wuss and a guy who has just reached puberty in my squad.."

Squall didn´t bother to correct Seifer´s misunderstanding of his last statement, deciding to ignore the irritating blond. Zell glared at the taller man and muttered an expletive, which only made the squad captain laugh harder.

Quistis shook her head.

This was going to be a long trip...

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note:_

_Okay this is the largest chapter I´ve ever wrote. Hope you all like it! _

_I remembered instructor Aki from the game, though I modified a little his appereance because the original look a little weak to me and normally instructors are also SeeDs, so he had to look like one. I also made up the whole Aki´s past, so I hope you like it too. _

_Any comments on this or other issues are always welcome._

_Please keep reading and reviewing!!_


	11. Chapter 11 Dollet

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII..._

**Unexpected Destiny **

**Chapter 11: Dollet**

By CelestialRage

Her eyes gazed at the shinning blue water.

Rosie was fascinated by the intensity and color of the ocean in front of her. The salty warm breeze blew gently, catching the end of her ponytail. For a second, the raven-haired totally forgot the reason she was standing at the pier... until a light shove from behind made her come to her senses.

"Move it, cadet. We must board the vessel."

Rosie sighed and reasumed her way. Instructor Aki was a man of few words but when he decided to give a speech, he could be quite... boring. The worst part was he had decided to do so in their trip to Balamb town, which was done inside a very compact space, thus leaving no possible escape route for any of the cadets.

The only thing she prayed was that the veteran SeeD had nothing else to share with them, the raven-haired highly doubted she could endure more information about the engineering system behind Garden´s earth and water vehicles.

Two large, blue vessels were docked at the pier, another 3 already floating in the nearby waters. Rosie glanced at the combat boat in front of her and was overwhelmed by its sheer beauty and lethality. The heavy machinegun attached to the top of the vessel especially impressed her, for she remembered it was smaller.

"Well, here we are"

Rosie turned to see Thelma, a mixture of happiness and impatience plastered on the brunette´s face. The smaller girl glanced at her squad leader and smiled "I can´t wait!! We´re going into a real battlefield!!"

"Yeah..." replied Rosie vaguely. The raven-haired had to admit the petite´s girl excitement in front of real danger and bloodshed made her nervous.

"C´mon ladies, we gotta move!" yelled instructor Aki, who was already on board of the vessel. Both cadets walked towards their assigned vehicle, Thelma getting inside. Rosie glanced around one last time and then entered the vessel.

ooo ooo

The doors opened and Squad B´s members got out. By that time, there was only one boat left at the pier: theirs.

Squall glanced at the combat boat and muttered "So that´s the vessel?"

"Ain´t no turning back now." Seifer´s voice made him turn around. He watched as his squad leader examined the water-bound vehicle, determination and anxiety evident in the normally clear jade eyes. Sensing Squall´s gaze, the blond turned his head towards the brunet and asked "Huh? You scared too?"

His reply was lost as a SeeD´s calling them over from his position on the pier interrupted him. "Hey! You guys are the last! Come on, hurry up and get in!"

"Don´t dissapoint me now!" muttered Seifer before running towards the vessel, leaving a confused Squall behind. The brunet briefly wondered whether the words were meant for him or the blond himself...

Quistis´s commanding voice cut off his reverie "Come on, move it!!"

Squall nodded and entered the vessel, the instructor hot on his heels. Finally, after all the members from Squad B were inside, the vehicle´s engine started and positioned itself between the other combat boats.

SeeDs were ready for war.

ooo ooo

_This cabin is even compacter than the last one._ Rosie thought, frowning at the uncomfortable conditions.

The space was in fact so reduced, there was barely enough room to move and when the male SeeD appointed to brief Squad C on the mission walked into the compartment, the raven-haired and Nida (who was sitting next to her) had to stand up in order to allow the SeeD enough movement so he could get to the digital screen on the opposite side of the room.

Rosie looked at the newly arrived and found him quite attractive. A young man in his mid-twenties with brown-reddish hair cut shortly and reminding her of Seifer´s style. Broad shouldered and well-muscled, he majestically displayed SeeD´s formal uniform. His green eyes wandered between the other compartment´s occupants. When he crossed gazes with instructor Aki both men nodded slightly, the frown in the later´s face softening some.

The young SeeD cleared his throat and nodded "I´m Kevin McPartland and I´ll be briefing you on our mission."

ooo ooo

"Hi, Quistis"

The instructor turned and smiled. "Hey, Xu."

Zell and Squall turned to see the SeeD entering the cabin. She was slender, dark-haired and fair skinned. Xu was well-known around Balamb Garden: aside from being one of the ranking SeeD, she was very close to Headmaster Cid and most considered her the second in command.

"Well, these are the members of Squad B." said Quistis vaguely motioning at the cadets.

Zell jumped from his seat and saluted the dark-haired woman "Nice to meet ya!" Amused at the blond´s seemingly hyperactive nature, Xu flashed him a wide smile and a small nod.

Squall´s movements were calmer than the martial artists´s. Rising from his seat, the brunet saluted the young woman as well "Pleased to meet you."

Xu nodded in his direction, noticing the cadet´s sincere politeness. When the dark-haired SeeD turned to look at the other student, she couldn´t help but smile knowingly. Seifer hadn´t moved a muscle and remained plopped on his seat, his booted feet resting shamelessly on the table in the center of the room.

Xu placed her hands on her hips in a mock-scolding fashion "Seifer, how many times has it been now?"

"Oh, you know me. I just love this exams." He replied sarcastically

The dark-haired SeeD shook her head in amusement before moving onto bussiness "I´ll explain the current situation and the mission." she walked towards the back of the room in order to reach the screen and start the briefing, Quistis and Zell moving aside to let her pass. Once Xu was in front of the screen, she tapped a button on the control panel attached to the wall, the savescreen displaying Balamb Garden´s emblem was immediately replaced by a map of Dollet´s region.

"Our client for this mission is the Dollet Dukedom Parliament."

ooo ooo

"Request for SeeD was made eighteen hours ago." proceeded Kevin. He tapped another button, zooming in the image until only the city of Dollet was visible. "Dollet has been under attack by Galbadian forces since about seventy-two hours ago." Then the SeeD tapped another button, making the screen display the retreat of Dollet´s units and the advance of the G-army.

ooo ooo

"Forty-nine hours into the battle, Dollet abandoned their position in the inner city, although some units still remain inside the city walls and on the beach... but they won´t last long." Xu said. "Currently the main Dollet force has retreated into the nearby mountains and are reorganizing their troops. That's the current status. Now, onto the mission objective."

ooo ooo

Kevin tapped another button, zooming the map to show a red line leading from Balamb to Dollet "According to our reports, the G-army is mopping up the Dollet troops in the mountain region. We are to make a landing at Lapin Beach and eliminate the remaining Galbadian army within the city and liberate it A.S.A.P."

ooo ooo

The map switched to show the upper Dollet region again, with red circles indicating the SeeD forces, right in the path of Galbadian blue arrows. "Afterwards, SeeD members will intercept any Galbadian forces attempting to make their way into the city from the mountain region." Xu tapped another button and switched off the screen. Then she turned towards the cadets "Any questions?"

"So what are _WE_ supposed to do?" asked Seifer

"SeeD candidates are to eliminate the Galbadian army inside the city." Xu explained.

"Sounds important!" excaimed Zell excited at the prospect of kicking some Galbadian asses.

"Sounds boring." replied Seifer "So, what you´re saying is we go in and do all the little dirty work, right?"

Xu didn´t like the term Seifer used to refer to their role in the mission and decided to ignore his commentary. "It hardly needs to be said but, remember the withdraw order takes priority." Xu checked her watch and said "We´re almost there. We are expecting combat as soon as we disembark, so be prepared. Any other questions talk to Quistis." with that, the dark-haired SeeD walked out of the room.

Quistis opened the manilla folder resting on the table and extracted its contents: diagrams, blueprints and photographs from Dollet city. "You better take a good look at these, they may prove to be useful" Squall and Zell reached for the graphic material, while Seifer contented with looking at them from the distance.

"My first real battle... I´m so nervous" said Zell as he examined some blueprints on Dollet´s Comunication Tower.

Wide smirk already in place, Seifer put in his two cents "Better not piss your pants."

The martial artist´s eyes shot up from the tactic material to the taller blond in front of him. "Hah! You talkin´ to me?!" when Seifer laughed, the brawler closed his fists in fury and muttered "Bastard!"

Quistis rolled her eyes. _Not again!_ "Okay, enough talk. We´ll be landing pretty soon, so get ready."

"Roger" replied an irritated Zell. His gaze still fixed on Seifer, while his mind was lost in thoughts of revenge.

"Alright" said Squall still examinating the diagrams in front of him.

"Yeah, yeah..." the squad leader looked at his left where the brunet was busy studying the blueprints of the city. Deciding to take advantage of his leadership position, Seifer calmly ordered "Squall, go see what´s going on outside."

The adressed cadet was about to refuse, but remembering his rival was his leader on this mission, he thought better than to go against a direct order. That didn´t mean he had to like obeying Seifer, though.

Squall frowned and dryly muttered "...Okay" before taking a couple diagrams he hadn´t been able to examine and standing up.

Just as he was getting up the ladder, the blond´s triumphant voice was heard "Good. Because it´s MY order!"

ooo ooo

Rosie looked at the diagrams in front of her.

She was confused. The city was much bigger than she had seen in the game, with lots of alleys and residential areas and even a large building in the northern part of town she supposed to be an institution of some sort.

Suddenly, the raven-haired recognized the route to Dollet´s Com Tower and traced it back to the main plaza. Then her eyes searched for the bar she had seen in her playing FF8. However and much to her dismay, at least 3 similar places were scattered through town.

She cursed inwardly.

_Okay Rosie, don´t panic. I remember the bar was located near a shop... let´s see..._ There were a couple of shops near two of the bars, instantly discarding the other.

_Good, now we´re progressing... let´s see what else was there?... Oh, yeah! The painter´s house..._ Rosie looked at Lapkin Beach, where they were supposed to land. She remembered there was an arch marking the entrance to the city and the painter´s house was near it. When she located it, the raven-haired traced the way towards the main plaza and for her delight, one of the remaining bars was right in the way.

_That must be it!_

"Yes!" she loudly exclaimed, gaining the stares from the other members of her squad.

"Glad to see someone is so excited about the upcoming battle." said instructor Aki with a broad smile.

Rosie shyly returned the gesture. _I have to learn to keep my big mouth shut!_

ooo ooo

"Captain! Captain!" the Galbadian soldier shouted as he made his way towards the central plaza. When he finally reached him, the soldier took a moment to catch his breath and muttered "S..SeeD, sir. SeeD is coming!"

"WHAT?! How many are them?"

"We´ve detected 5 vessels, sir."

"DAMN!" The captain turned to one of the soldiers in his patroling unit and ordered "Inform Mayor Biggs!"

"Yes, sir!" the trooper saluted, before bolting towards the Comunication Tower.

Then the ranking officer turned towards the remaining members of his unit and said "Sound the alarm! Everybody to battle stations! We´re not giving them this town!"

"Yes, sir captain!" the soldiers saluted and spread like wild fire.

ooo ooo

Squall watched the ocean fly past the speeding vessel. The salty warm breeze caught his hair and filled his lungs. Looking around him, the brunet could see the other SeeD vehicles in line and quickly approaching the target.

His attention focused on the diagram he delivered from the cockpit: a digital photograph of Dollet, which he covered with a transparent sheet that briefed about some details of the city. When Squall looked up from the paper, the image was replaced from the photo to the real thing. Dollet city stood magnificently in front of the cadet. Flashes of gunfire and smoke from the explosions were seen and heard even in the distance.

Squall´s eyes narrowed, his sight focused on the distant figures on the beach. Most of them were Dollet soldiers – the remaining units Xu had talked about. And just as the female SeeD had predicted, the native troops were growing thin, most of them blown away by the galbadian explosions.

Sheer determination plastered on his face, the brunet spared another look at the battle ahead and readied his junctions, before going down to the cockpit.

ooo ooo

"20 seconds for landing" came a voice in the intercom. Rosie guessed it was from the pilot.

Instructor Aki turned towards the cadets and said "C´mon!" The older man rised from his seat and walked to a panel near the rear metallic doors "Listen up! Your objectives are to secure the way to the central square and place a control post in Wendigo´s Bar."

Turned towards Rosie, the SeeD gave her a small, square object "Once you´ve completed your second objective, wait inside the building until one of the members from the squad designated for backup duty arrives. He or she will establish communication means so you can report to me."

Rosie nodded and remained silent so her voice didn´t betray her internal panic.

ooo ooo

"WHOAA!" yelled Zell as the floor under his feet shook violently.

The vessel had hit some obstacle and shuddered for a couple of seconds due to the impact. The cadets felt as the combat vehicle raised a couple of feet from the water, splashing soundly as it landed and decreased its speed.

"Ready! We´re about to land!" shouted Quistis bolting towards the metallic doors. When she pressed a nearby button, they opened reminding her of a blossoming flower´s petals. The blonde broke her train of thought and turned her attention to the already standing cadets "You´re to secure the central square and set a control post there."

Squad B members jumped out of the vehicle, weapons in hand and ready for battle.

ooo ooo

"Go, go go!" yelled Instructor Aki as the doors opened. The cadets got out of the vessel, landing on the salty, white sand.

Rosie gasped.

The scene before her was definitely something not displayed in the game... at least, not in all its gory detail The bloodshed was terrible and far more shocking than anything she ever knew. Scattered dead bodies – most of them from Dollet troops – were horribly mutilated, tinting the soft sand with a sickening crimson hue. The already rottening corpses laid between wrecked combat vehicles still on fire.

The scent of death and smoke was heavy in the air, nauseating the paled raven-haired who barely managed to keep her composture.

_How did I end up in this mess? _

_This is not what I thought it would be! I was so mistaken..._

A sudden explotion interrupted her thoughts. The sand near her squad flew a couple of meters. Rosie yelped and cursed inwardly at whoever had almost got her and her comrades killed.

_This is no time for thinking. If you want to make it alive then you have to take some action! _

_Come on!! You can´t retreat now!!_

Rosie looked around, finally detecting the arched entrance to the city walls. "This way!" she shouted to her team as she bolted towards it.

ooo ooo

Squall and Zell ran just behind their leader. The two armies collided, the galbadian blue uniforms clashed against Dollet´s brown-green ones. The remaining native troops efficently creating a distraction while SeeD and the cadets entered the city.

Looking ahead at the raised town´s entrance, Squall spotted a raven-haired girl he knew.

ooo ooo

Just as Squad C was climbing the stairs leading to the arched threshold, a couple of galbadian soldiers cut them off.

"Dollet reinforcements, uh?" said one cockily.

"Well, let´s see what they can do!" said the other before lunging towards Nida, his sabre-like sword in hand.

The cadet parried his agressor´s slash with his weapon: a silver staff that reminded Rosie of Aeris´s first weapon. But - unfortunatelly for the galbadian soldier - Nida´s fighting style had nothing in common with Aeris´s. His movements were fast and fluid, the strikes he delivered the soldier quick and strong, rendering the galbadian virtually helpless at the perfect onslaught.

While Nida took care of the trooper, his comrade shot a couple of shotgun rounds at Thelma, who protected herself behind a magical barrier. Rosie took the oportunity and called forth a Thunder spell, she had drawn from a caterpillar on her way back to Garden after the Fire Cavern test. Her objective was not to kill, but to knock down the g-soldier.

The mere idea of taking a human life sickened her.

The galbadian detected her attack too late and was only able to open his mouth in surprise as 100,000 volts coursed through his body, leaving him paralized before loosing conscience. The two female cadets turned to see how Nida was going with the other trooper, watching as the cadet delivered him a blow on the back of the head, neutralizing his enemy.

"Well done!" Rosie said smiling to Nida "Let´s go!" she ordered resuming her way towards Wendigo´s Bar.

ooo ooo

Squall´s gunblade slashed across the chest of another g-soldier, blood splashing around as the weapon ripped the human flesh. He looked at the fallen adversary and shook his head.

_That crappy armor of theirs looks tough but it´s as easy to pierce as butter._

His gaze turned to the gunblade in his hand. It was dripping wet with the galbadian´s blood. Squall frowned and shook his weapon clean before a sudden cry made his focus diverge from the silver blade to the noise´s source.

Seifer had slashed open the throat of another soldier. The blond´s attention shifted to his comrades, his smirk already in place. "Come on! We don´t want the other squads to get all the fun, uh?" With that, he bolted towards the staircase leading to the city entrance.

ooo ooo

Rosie ran across the comercial street of Dollet. Several shops were lined in both sides of the street, displaying merchandise that went from clothing to weaponry.

_I could use some weapons... _thought the raven-haired as she stopped in front of the junk shop.

"It´s not time to be window shopping, don´t you think?" said Thelma impatienly.

"I know, I just..." Rosie wasn´t able to finish her statement as an entire unit of Galbadian soldiers exited a building, a few meters away. "Hide, quick!" she whispered at her comrades.

The three cadets pressed themselves against the wall of a nearby alley and watched as a dozen troopers ran towards the beach, where most of their comrades were still fighting. Some of the soldiers resumed their patrolling of the comercial sector, leaving Squad C no choice but to fight in order to make it to their destination.

_Damn!_ Rosie frowned.

"Okay, listen up!" she whispered, turning towards her comrades. "There are 4 of them. I don´t want to get any of us killed so we need a plan." She directed her next words to the slender girl beside her "Thelma, I need you to cast a protective barrier around Nida." She turned towards the male cadet "You´ll charge first and I´ll back you up with my magic."

"And I´ll back you up with _THIS!_"

At the sound of Thelma´s voice, the other cadets turned to her. Rosie´s eyes widened in surprise at the sight before her. The petite girl was holding the same huge, heavy-looking weapon the raven-haired had noticed earlier.

Nida´s mouth hanged ajar in utter shock "W... What the hell is _that_?!" he almost yelled.

"It´s my flamethrower." replied the brunette patting the weapon as though it was a pet. "Don´t worry, it´s quite reliable."

"I... I don´t know Thelma... I really don´t want to destroy the entire district just to get rid of a couple of g-soldiers..." said Rosie as she folded her arms and looked at the monstrous weapon.

"Aww! C´mon guys! Just let me use it once, okay?" begged the slender girl as she gave them her best sad puppy-sad eyes.

Nida and Rosie exchanged looks, the male cadet shrugging. The decision didn´t depend on him, it was hers to make. The squad leader sighed.

"Okay, okay..." Thelma was about to squeal happily but Rosie hastily handgagged her. "But.." she said holding her index finger in front of the petite girl ".. you´ll hold all responsabiliy for the misuse of that thing. Deal?"

"Deal." chirped the slender cadet as a wide smile spreaded through her face.

The raven-haired nodded "Okay then, let´s do it!"

Thelma casted a protective barrier not only on Nida, but also on her squad leader. Rosie felt as though there was some kind of thick material surrounding her, molding around her members. It was a little uncomfortable, but necessary.

The male cadet turned to gaze at her and nodded. She returned the gesture, preparing her Thunder spells and mouthed the words "One.. two.. three!"

Nida bolted out of their hidding place, followed by Rosie who was already casting her first spell on the furthest soldier, thus preventing him from counterattacking them. The soldiers were taken by surprise and dashed towards the building in order to take cover and have a better fighting stance against the cadets.

Nida prevented the nearest of them from getting inside with a quick series of strikes. The other galbadians started firing their shotguns against the cadets, but protected as they were, the bullets did little more than causing slight ache on the zones they struck. Rosie was about to cast another spell when Thelma´s voice was heard.

"Out of the way!"

The squad leader turned to see the slender girl already aiming at the soldiers. Rosie shoved Nida to the side just in time as a huge blaze enveloped the place they were standing mere seconds before.

Painful shrieks were heard and the cadets turned to see the damage Thelma´s weapon had made. The galbadians were on flames, their skin charred as their armor melted away. The raven-haired had to deviate her gaze, not strong enough to witness their suffering any more, only to find Thelma smiling at the carnage.

That made her sick. _How can anyone find joy in other people´s suffering?_

The shrieks finally ended. The brunette approached her raising comrades. "Well, what do you think now?"

"I think you´ve used it enough." answered Rosie frowning. Not waiting for any kind of reply, the cadet entered the building where the galbadians had established their temporary base: Wendigo´s bar.

ooo ooo

When they arrived to the stairway, Squad A members were securing the area. They had dragged the unconscious galbadian soldiers out of their way and now one of the cadets seemed engrosed in the surrounding area.

"There should be an info-net cable around here somewhere..." muttered the teen pensively.

"What are you guys doing?" asked Zell

"We´re going to hack the Galbadian transmissions from the Info Network System!" another cadet responded "We gotta do whatever we can without radiowaves... and unlike you, guys, we use our heads."

_Cowards..._ Instead of speaking his mind, Squall decided to counter the cadet´s commentary with one of his own. "Backup duty... sounds boring"

"Yeah! We´re going to be the heroes on the front line!" said excitedly Zell.

The other cadet sneered "Sheesh! Give me a break!... All you meatheads are the same. Go get yourselves killed then!"

Squall shook his head. He had never liked gathering information, that was just not his style. As fighting on the front lines was clearly not the style of those 2 cadets from Squad A.

"Hey! You coming or what?" yelled Seifer from his position several meters ahead of them. Squall and Zell ran towards him, a frown shown on the squad leader´s face. "You sure took your sweet time talking to those losers. We have-" suddenly the blond shut up and raised Hyperion, his gaze locked on something behind his comrades.

Squall immediately recognized his rival´s stance: he was prepared for a fight. The brunet cadet whirled around quickly drawing Revolver as he did so. Zell turned around also and wasn´t surprised to see a couple of Galbadian soldiers standing on a walkway, several meters away, which connected one of the buildings on one side of the street with it´s opposite. The troopers spotted the cadets, one of them calling for reinforcements, while the other oppened fire against the youngsters.

Squad B members took shelter behind a nearby wall. Squall- who was near the corner- took a quick glance at the shooter in order to remember his position on the walkway. He focused his energy and quickly came out from his shelter, casting a Fire spell on the soldier, burning him to a crisp.

The remaining trooper shocked at the way his comrade was defeated, dropped his comunication device. To his fortune, some soldiers appeared just behind the teenagers, effectively trapping them.

Or that´s what he thought.

Seifer moved towards them with amazing speed, Hyperion slashing across the blue-claded soldiers, while Zell sent a whirling kick, breaking a trooper´s neck. Squall ducked under the outstretched arm of another soldier, thrusting Revolver into his chest.

One of the troopers slashed his blade at Seifer, who parried the blow with incredible ease. Smirking, the cadet whirled around the galbadian, drawing Hyperion across the man´s stomach and side. The trooper´s maimed body fell to the floor lifeless.

Zell had grabbed another soldier and hurled him against a nearby wall, breaking a couple of his bones due to the impact. When another soldier thrust his sabre against him, the martial artist rolled to his side and, still ducking, sent him a kick to the shin, painfully breaking the galbadian´s leg. Then the SeeD cadet picked up the injured soldier and sent him against the same wall he had the previous trooper.

Squall was engaged in a battle against two soldiers. One sent a slash towards him, the cadet quickly parrying it, and counterattacking with a kick right to the man´s stomach, sending him to his knees, the air out of his lungs for a moment. The other soldier thrusted his sabre against the cadet. Squall ducked, Revolver slashing upwards, cutting the man vertically in half. When the other soldier gained enough breath to rise and attack the cadet, the brunet was already in motion. He whirled past the trooper and sent his gunblade across his back, injuring him badly and leaving the soldier in no condition to fight any further.

Squall then directed his gaze towards the remaining soldier on the walkway..

ooo ooo

Rosie bolted upstairs to the second floor walkway. Nida close behind her.

The ruckus outside the bar had been on for a couple of minutes and, fearing that the galbadians had returned to reclaim their strategic position, Squad C members had taken defensive stances inside the building. When it was obvious the ruckus was due to something else, Rosie decided to go take a look outside from the second floor walkway she had seen in the game. Nida offered to go with her in case there was trouble.

Reluctlantly, the raven-haired had authorized Thelma to use her flamethrower if G-troops attacked the place, for she was going to remain the defense party downstairs. Apparently, the slender girl didn´t mind being alone in such a position, as long as she had her weapon. And Rosie couldn´t blame her, if she had that thing she would also feel secure not mattering whether she was in the middle of a battle between Esthar and Galbadia or against a whole army of Ruby Dragons.

When she reached the walkway exit, the raven-haired stopped dead in her tracks. The galbadian soldier that still lingered on the balcony turned towards her, gun in hand. She quickly cast the Thunder spell she had readied in case something like this happened.

ooo ooo

The Galbadian trooper was enveloped by flames and struck by an electrical force at the same time, his body exploding as the magical energies collided.

Rosie gasped, horrorized at the macabre event. She didn´t want something like this to happen!

"Identify yourself." came a deep masculine voice.

ooo ooo

Squall stood beneath the walkway, waiting for a response to his querry.

"We´re Squad C members." replied a soft feminine voice. "I´m coming out."

Rosie´s figure emerged from the building, Nida close behind her.

"Hey, Kid!" Seifer grinned as he walked near the brunet´s position. "Didn´t expect to see you here."

She smiled, not because of the blond´s presence, but for Squall´s. Her gaze locked with his blue-grey one for a second before it switched to the other squad leader. "This is our position. I heard you guys are supposed to be up ahead, right?"

"Yeah." replied Zell from his position a couple of steps behind the two gunbladers.

"You should get going. Don´t worry Squad C is in charge here." said Nida.

"Whatever." was Squall´s answer as he shrugged.

"Let´s go!" ordened Seifer, before turning again to Rosie "See you later, Kid!" After that the squad leader resumed his way towards the central plaza.

Just as Squall was about to follow the taller blond, Rosie´s voice was heard again. "Take care..." Turning his attention to the raven-haired once more, his gaze locked with hers for a moment. She smiled and he nodded slightly, feeling uncomfortable at the situation, though he couldn´t actually tell why. Without wasting any more time, the brunet resumed his way, Zell running behind him.

Dark eyes followed Squall´s retreating frame until he and the martial artist dissapeared around the corner.

Sighing, Rosie turned on her heels and re-entered the building.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note: _

_The electrical voltage Rosie used on the g-soldier (100,000 volts) is the same used in police´s stunt-guns, I researched on the web... remember Google is your friend :D_

_Thanks to all the reviewers again. _

_This is the longest chapter until now, hope you liked it!!_


	12. Chapter 12 Com Tower

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII..._

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 12: Comunications Tower**

By CelestialRage

"The HELL!" Zell punched the floor as he screamed in frustration. "Man... Now this is what I call boring!" the hyperactive teenager sat down on the floor near the fountain located exactly in the middle of the Central Square. He looked at his brunet comrade and shook his head "This ain´t right, man!"

Squall nodded.

For the first time he had to agree with the martial artist. It was way too quiet, the battle was still on, but the sounds from explotions and fireguns had long since silenced. Besides, they had encountered little resistance since their battle at the Pub and were able to gain control of the Central Square rather easily.

_Where the hell are all the galbadians? They are supposed to be defending their positions in this town, right?_

He glanced at his captain, who was still leaning against a nearby wall, his dark gunblade bouncing lightly on his shoulder, showing just how impatient he was. For the first time in almost half an hour, Seifer´s voice was heard "Damn galbadians! Still keeping us waiting!"

As if on cue, several footsteps were heard, the sound indicating the cadets the approaching were around 30 and that they were in a hurry. Squall dashed towards Zell, who had already hid behind the fountain. Seifer didn´t like the sound of it either and decided to wait in the shadows of the building in order to see if the ones approaching were friend or foe.

"Come on ladies, move it!" a male voice yelled.

Crouching as he was, Squall was able to see the source of the voice: a man in blue clothes and silver armor. "It´s the enemy!" he whispered to Zell, who glanced back at his captain and made a sign with his hand. Seifer recognized it as the mude word for enemy and nodded. A couple of seconds later, several soldiers made their way towards the plaza, most of them were heavily armed while a couple were carrying what appeared to be technical equipment.

The leader glanced around the plaza, as though he was searching for something. Squall´s hand tightened around the hilt of his gunblade, preparing to deliver the first strike if needed be... but he never got the chance.

The galbadian soldier simply turned to his unit and said "Cleared." Then waved his arm indicating them to follow him. The soldiers started their way across the plaza, the two who carried the equipment marching in the middle.

Seifer considered their options: they were quite out-numbered, but with their foes being galbadian soldiers they could defeat them easily, especially since all squad B members carried GFs. But there was one thing bothering the blond: the galbadians had dispatched little units to defend their control posts within the city, yet they displayed this forces to guard what those troppers were carrying?

_What the hell are they planning?_

Squall and Zell glanced at Seifer, waiting for their leader to decide whether to attack or not. He looked back at them and shook his head slightly. There would be no gain in rushing things.

Once their foes were gone, the three cadets got out of their hidding spots.

"Where the hell are they going?" asked Zell

Squall looked in the direction the soldiers had taken, noticing a path through the cliff overtowering the city. On the top was a rusty, old tower crowned by a metallic plate. "There." said the brunet pointing towards it.

"Hey! What´s that up there?" the martial artist asked as he followed Squall´s gaze.

Seifer´s smirk returned "Our next destination." He was aching to see why the galbadians were carrying the technical equipment all the way to the apparently abandoned tower.

Zell spun around quickly. _The dude´s not serious!!_ "But that´s against orders!" he exclaimed.

The squad leader rolled his eyes and glanced at the martial artist. "Weren´t you just saying how bored you were?" His cynical smirk returned when he saw the doubt in Zell´s eyes "I´m giving you the chance to have some fun!"

The smaller blond shook his head to dissipate any doubts or desires of kicking someone´s butt and decided to ask for the support of his more rational and collected comrade... not to mention, someone who would definitely go against _anything_ the arrogant man said. He turned his head towards the brunet "Squall!!"

Zell´s jaw dropped to the floor when – against his every thought – the teenager surprisingly, responded "I stand by the captain´s decision."

Seifer was also astonished by the vote Squall had granted him. "...Captain´s decision?" A brief moment later, his usual smirk returned and the blond walked towards his rival, pointing an accusatory finger at him "Yeah, right. You want to wreak some havoc too, don´t you?"

Squall shoved his hand away and replied "It´s a good opportunity to test out my training." He glanced at Seifer dead in the eyes and frowned "Thanks to you, I feel like I can take on anyone." His expression darkened further "Even if they fight dirty like you."

The taller man just folded his arms and replied "You´ll thank me when the time comes."

_What the hell is that supposed to mean? _Squall thought as his eyes narrowed. He was about to reply something when Zell´s voice interrupted him.

"The hell? I thought you guys didn´t get along, but you´re like all buddy-buddy now." When none of the other teenagers said anything to his comment, the martial artist saw the opportunity to change the subject and try to talk some sense into their thick heads "Listen, this ain´t no ordinary battle..." he shook his head while saying "It´s an exam, an important one. I´m telling ya, we have to stick to orders..."

"Then you stay here." Seifer growled in irritation, interrupting the brawler´s words. He had had enough of Zell´s attitude. Where was his sense of adventure? "I don´t need any boyscouts."

"What was THAT?!" demanded the other blond.

Squall stepped between them, the last thing he needed was to have his two companions engaged in a fight while they were on a battlefield. He turned to face the martial artist, his voice calm but firm as he said "Don´t take him seriously, Zell."

The hyperactive teenager glanced at his comrade. "... Yeah, fine." He muttered while shifting his gaze to the fountain, seeking to calm his inner fire with the fluid course of the clear water.

Squall turned to his captain "Seifer, if we´re gonna go, let´s hurry."

The taller man nodded and pointed at the mysterious building standing in the distance "The soldiers are heading towards that faccility. We squad B are to secure the summit."

Squall nodded. "Alright."

"...Tch, fine." muttered Zell, resigned. He had to obey the captain´s orders, though he didn´t like them...

Seifer glanced back at the mountain path and said "Move out!"

ooo ooo

A knock on the door suddenly made her jump out of her skin.

She had been so deep in thought, for a moment, the raven-haired had forgotten where she was.

Rosie stood up and walked towards the entrance of the building. She glanced at Nida as he positioned himself behind her, his weapon ready to strike the possible foe that waited behind the door. A sudden move to her left caught her attention and she turned to look at Thelma, who was also taking a defensive position. The brunette nodded at her squad leader, gesture the raven-haired returned.

Her comrades were ready to cover her, so she felt a lot more confident.

Rosie´s hand slowly turned the knob...

"HEY! IS SOMEBODY IN HERE?!" yelled a female voice, one the raven-haired knew quite well.

Rosie smiled, rolling her eyes and opening the door "Hey, Selphie! Don´t you know you can attract the enemy if you keep rising your voice like that?!"

"Rosie!" said the brunette smiling "How´s it going?"

"We´re fine. How about you?"

"Alright. In fact I came here as technical support and message delivery service." She replied as she stepped into the bar´s main area. Rosie noticed the petite brunette was carrying a small backpack, she hadn´t seen during the game.

"Message delivery?" asked Thelma

"Yeah." replied the tiny girl as she placed her burden on one of the many tables of the bar. Then she turned towards Rosie and gave her the SeeD salute. Taken by surprise, the squad leader hesitated for a second before returning the gesture. After the protocolary formalities, Selphie spoke "I came to deliver the new orders. All SeeD members and SeeD candidates are to withdraw at 1900 hours and assemble at the shore."

"I see... thank you, Selphie." said Rosie smiling.

Nida looked at the cuckoo watch attached to the wall behind the bar. It was only 1700. "Well, seems we´ll still be quite a while here, uh?"

"Seems like it." replied Thelma, who was secretly happy that she may still have time to cause some more ruckus around before the time of returning to Garden came.

"Well, now onto my second duty." said Selphie as she opened her bag and produced a couple of technical devices. She asked Rosie for the "radio" instructor Aki had given her and proceded to connect everything that was needed in order to report with their superiors. "There, it´s done." said the cadet as she wiped a little sweat from her forehead. "Try it, Rosie."

The squad leader nodded and pressed the "on" button. A couple of seconds later, she could hear the SeeD instructor´s voice. "Squad C, this is central. Instructor #20 Aki Ling speaking. Over."

"Uhmm... "

_What should I say? _

_Well, if watching war movies and police tv series has to come in handy sometime in life, I guess that´s now._

"Central, this is squad C leader´s, Rossane Bennett speaking. Over."

"Report, cadet.."

"We have gained control of the enemy´s post in Wendigo´s Bar and have mantained that status until this moment. Over."

"Good. Remember that the withdraw order takes priority. I want the three of you down here at 1900 hours exactly. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very well. Over and out."

A female voice was heard "Well, my job here´s done." Rosie turned to see Selphie who was getting all her scattered items inside the backpack. "I´m going to deliver the withdraw message to squad B."

The raven-haired saw the opportunity to involve herself in the following events. She walked toward Selphie and said "Maybe I should go with you, it´s not safe out there."

The brunette smiled and replied "Don´t worry, I´ll be fine. Besides, most of the galbadian units within the city have been destroyed."

"Yeah, but not all of them. You shouldn´t go alone." said Rosie folding her arms and looking at her friend. "Who knows, something might happen..."

_Like being attacked by a huge flying monster in the Com Tower..._

"She´s right." Nida´s sudden interruption startled the girls. He took a couple of paces towards them and shyly continued "Sorry for sticking my nose in your affairs, but... you shouldn´t go alone, Selphie. Although the possibility of encountering more soldiers is slim, it´s still there. And without backup you might be an easy prey."

A brief moment of silence followed. Selphie considered both cadets´s words and finally reached a decision. She turned her gaze up from the floor to Rosie´s face and smiled brightly "Okay, then if you want to come with me, it´ll be my pleasure."

The squad leader returned the gesture and replied "The pleasure would be all mine, Selph." She then turned to her comrades "Nida, I´ll leave you in charge."

_I don´t trust Thelma´s judgement... _

The male cadet nodded, while the slender girl just stood mutely, a little dissapointment evident in her face.

"What about the withdraw order?" asked Thelma suddenly.

Rosie´s expression hardened, her voice gaining a commanding edge as she replied "It doesn´t matter whether I return here on time or not. You two have to withdraw at 1900 hours, understood?"

"Yes, sir.. I mean ma´am!" replied Nida, giving his squad leader the SeeD salute. Thelma saluted as well, giggling at her comrade´s mistake.

Rosie rolled her eyes and smiled at the other two cadets. "Okay then, I´ll see you guys later." Then she turned to Selphie and excitedly said "What are we waiting for? Let´s go!"

ooo ooo

It took them almost 20 minutes to reach the bridge connecting the mountain path with the city, their steps were cautious as more galbadian company was expected. But so far they had encountered no resistance and, aside from the fact that distant gunfire could still be heard, one could swear Dollet was a ghost town.

Seifer was still on the lead, Squall and Zell a little behind. When they reached the bridge, the taller blond came to a halt and made a sign to his comrades, indicating them to take cover.

"Finally, those bastards show their ugly faces." whispered the squad leader as he signaled to the far end of the bridge, where a 12 soldiers unit was on guard.

"Ass-kicking time!" exclaimed excitedly Zell cracking his knuckles while a wide smile spread on his face.

"So, we charge or not?" asked Squall, glancing at Seifer out the corner of his eyes.

"Sure thing. Strike the furthest soldiers with magic first, then we´ll get more "personal" with the nearest ones." replied the smirking blond, drawing Hyperion.

Squall nodded and unsheathed Revolver.

"GO!" yelled Seifer as he charged, followed by the other 2 cadets, Thunder and Fire spells already incapacitating 3 soldiers in the back lines.

The other galbadians panicked at the sight of their comrades burnt to a crisp. Some of them opened fire blindly, injuring one of their parters in the process. Seifer´s blade thrusted into the body of another soldier, while Zell whirled around a trooper and sent a whirling kick to his back, sending him flying out of the bridge and to the cold waters below.

Squall was engaged in a battle with another trooper. The cadet parried his foe´s blade a couple of times before sending him to his knees, a huge gash ripping his abdomen´s flesh. Then the brunet turned around and brought Revolver up so he could deflect a Thunder spell cast by another soldier, which he counterattacked with a Fire spell of his own, burning but not incapacitating his foe.

Zell quickly took care of that as he tossed the galbadian trooper he was fighting with against his fellow soldier, both knocked out by the impact.

Seifer dashed between 2 other soldiers, Hyperion slashing the chest of one of them in the process; the other galbadian turned around and shoot at the SeeD cadet, while his comrade used his last ounce of strenght to cast a Fire spell against his killer. Seifer rolled to his side, avoiding the bullets, but was caught by the fiery magic. Being protected by his GFs, the cadet didnt suffer any mayor injuries, but was pissed enough to use his ultimate fighting skill against the pesky galbadian morsels.

Squall finished the last standing soldier off and turned around to see as Seifer´s deadliest attack slashed the troopers to a bloody pulp. The brunet shook his head at the excesive display of power his rival had just used. At least, he was glad Seifer hadn´t been imprudent enough to use a Guardian on the bridge just to get rid of a couple of galbadians; surely he would have destroyed it in the process and all of them would have ended in the river far below.

Seifer shook Hyperion clean of his enemys blood and smirked "Thats what those fools deserve." He turned his gaze upwards and said "Come on, lets keep going."

Soon, the trio reached the skirts of the mountain. The path they had followed was burned and had some dents around and on it. Several corpses lied scattered through the walkway, most of them belonging to Dollet troops.

"Seems the galbadians used his massive weaponry around here." said Zell

"Marvelous observation, Captain Obvious!" replied Seifer rolling his eyes.

"HEY! Im getting tired of that cocky attitude of yours, you hear me?!" yelled an enraged Zell, his hands balling at his sides.

"Shh! I hear something!" muttered Squall as he drew his gunblade. The cadet moved to his right and cautiously walked around a huge rock. When he reached the other side, he was surprised to see a Dollet soldier lying heavily against the hard stone.

He was badly injured, his faint moans were the sound Squall had heard mere seconds before.

The SeeD cadet called forth a Cure spell, which enveloped the trooper, sealing most of his wounds, but still leaving him weak due to the great blood loss he had endured. The trooper opened his eyes slowly, his lips faintly moving as he muttered "...galbadians... tower..."

"Take it easy, man. You got quite lucky down there." said Zell, crouching near the soldier.

"Hmmm... what´s with that tower, anyway?" Seifer said as he approached his comrades. "Well. we better hurry and see what the hell they want with that piece of crap up there."

Squall nodded. He had done everything he could right now to aid the soldier.

Suddenly, a noise made them turn around, their weapons prepared to defend themselves if needed be. Nearby bushes on the left side of the road moved and a second later a Dollet trooper came out from them crawling and leaving a trail of blood due to a severe injure in one of his legs.

The soldier looked up towards the armed cadets a couple of feet in front of him, and panicked. "Ahhh! Who... who are you?!"

Squall sheathed his gunblade "Don´t worry, we´re SeeD candidates. We´ve been dispached by Garden to help you."

"So, what´s going on up there?" asked Seifer as he crossed his arms and looked around at the dead bodies.

"The Galbadian soldiers have entered the Communication Tower... I can´t start to fathom why. That place has been abandoned for years," The trooper shook his head and frowned "Furthermore, it´s a nesting ground for monsters. If you guys are going up, be caref..."

Suddenly a loud hiss was heard and something behind the bushes started pulling at the soldier´s leg. "HELP ME!!" he shrieked

Squall and Zell dashed forwards, the first one catching the man´s outstreched arms, while the second one grabbed the brunet by his waist and tried to pull them backwards. Even when both of them had junctions in order to enhace their physical strenght (especially Zell), the unknown enemy was able to pull them through the bushes to the open area beyond.

The cadets´ eyes widened when they were finally able to look at their foe: a gigantic green-brown snake with huge fangs and powerful coils, loomed in front of them. The soldier´s left boot was in its jaws.

_Surely it was attracted by the smell of blood._ Thought Squall as he cast a Fire spell towards the reptile monster.

The Anacandour hissed painfully as the spell hit it straight on the face, releasing its grip on the Dollet soldier´s boot enough so the cadets could pull him from what had seemed to be his certain death.

Seifer charged agains the monster, though his gunblade never met flesh. The snake´s speed was incredible, its movements fast and fluid. It lunged for the blond, who barely escaped his foe´s venomous fangs, having his trechcoat ripped instead of his flesh.

Squall and Zell charged as well, one from the left, the other on the right. The snake coiled itself up, hissing menacingly at the approaching cadets. It slithered beneath Zell´s powerful punch, hitting him with its head and sending the martial artist a few meters away.

Revolver slashed the Anacandour´s side, the monster hiss was heard again briefly before it turned its head towards the offender. The snake´s jaws opened wide, its fangs ready to inject the powerful venom in its foe´s arm.

Squall´s reaction was almost flawless and he only received a scratch on his right arm, instead of the full force of the monster´s bite. A Thunder spell – courtesy from Seifer – paralized the serpent enough so the brunet could step backwards. The SeeD cadet clutched his arm, feeling slightly dizzy. Although the wound wasn´t large, surely some venom had infected his blood given his sudden weakened state.

While Squall used one of the antidotes he had delivered from Kadowaki that morning, Zell was on his feet again and already charging against the monster.

The snake lunged for him, but the martial artist evaded its attack by jumping over the monster, using its own head as a trampoline. Out of the corner of his eyes, Zell could see Seifer charging again, so he cast a Thunder spell on the Anacandour, paralizing it momentarily and avoiding harming his squad leader, although he had wanted to do so mere minutes before.

Seifer´s blade slashed across the monster´s back, ripping several scales form its flesh in the process. Furious and injured, the snake quickly brought its tail behind the cadet, coiling just above his chest, trapping his arms too.

"What the fuck?!" exclaimed the blond when he tried, but failed to get free.

Squall was on the move again. He dashed towards the Anacandour while focusing his next spell cautiously, he needed to manipulate the magical energy in order to harm only the monster and not Seifer. Finally a couple of feet from them, Squall cast the Blizzard he had been molding in his mind. The chill air focused around the coil trapping the taller cadet, the snake´s flesh freezing instantly.

Zell saw this and guessed Squall´s intention. He dashed forwards and delivered a powerful jab to the freezed flesh, shattering it and gaining a painful shriek from the monster.

Free, Seifer quickly sent Hyperion upwards, piercing the snake´s soft underside flesh. The dark gunblade made its way through the reptile´s head, killing it instantly. The blond stepped aside as the huge snake´s body collapsed lifelessly on the floor.

"Monsters, uh?" muttered Squall, looking down at the reptile´s corpse.

"That sucks." replied Zell

"More fun for us." grinned Seifer as he sheathed Hyperion. The squad leader turned his gaze towards the top of the cliff and said "Come on, we´re close now."

"...Fun?" muttered the martial artist, sparing another glance at the monster´s corpse. He rolled his eyes "Pu- lease.."

ooo ooo

"Where the hell are they?"

Rosie turned to look at Selphie, who was still searching for any signs of Squad B. "They are not here, that´s for sure." replied the taller woman.

"Do you think they received new orders?"

"From whom?" Rosie shook her head. _I can´t tell her what I know, but..._ "Look around, there´s no way they could have established communication with the base. Besides, you´re the only messenger that has been dispached as far as I know."

"So..." Selphie´s eyes widened at the thought that came to her mind "Do you think they were taken prisioners?"

Again the raven-haired shook her head. "No. I mean, it´s SQUAD B we´re talking about, remember? There´s no way in hell that could happen."

"Well, we gotta find them. They must know when the withdraw is taking place."

Rosie walked towards the path she knew Squall and the others had taken and said "Let´s look for them over here."

Selphie´s eyes settled on the walkway her friend signaled, then turned her gaze around the plaza. The other streets were blocked by wrecked galbadian vehicles and, although it was possible Squad B had gotten past the wreckage, it was unlikely. She returned her gaze to the girl in front of her and nodded "Okay, let´s go."

ooo ooo

The doors opened and the two technicians extied the tower. Their captain was on guard duty in front of the facility with another trooper, so the soldiers had gone there to report their advances.

"The Generator is up and running." said one of them

The other nodded "No problem with the boosters either."

"Good." said the captain.

A voice was heard from inside the building "Cable disconnection confirmed! Beginning exchange progress!"

"Roger" replied the captain as he lead the way inside the building. The other soldiers followed him, closing the metallic doors behind them.

In a nearby cliff, hidden behind a rocky mound, Squad B watched as this events unfolded.

"What the hell are they doing?" muttered Seifer, jade eyes narrowing as the door closed.

"Repairs...?" suggested Squall, standing up from the crouched position he had been in the last minutes. The brunet folded his arms, his usual frown deepening in concentration.

_But why would they repair such a device? _

_If I remember correctly, this thing works on radiowaves... but they´re useless due to the global interference. _

_What the hell is going on?_

"Who cares?" replied Seifer as he stood and walked to the edge of the cliff. The blond turned his gaze towards the other gunblader "This must be your first real battle. Are you scared?"

"...I don´t know." Squall replied honestly. He shook his head and put a hand on his hip "I try not to think about it."

_If I did, then I wouldn´t be able to respond correctly or quickly enough... Just focus on the task at hand and get it over right._

"How about you?" the brunet asked, not really interested in hearing the answer.

Seifer smirked "I love battles. I fear nothing." His tone was a little lower, a confidential edge to his voice "The way I look at it, as long as you make it out of battle alive, you're one step closer to fulfilling your dream."

"What?!" Squall asked confused. His gaze turning from the tower he had been watching towards his rival. "Your dream?"

"Yeah." Seifer raised a golden eyebrow "You have one too, don´t you?"

_My dream..._

Squall crossed his arms over his chest again, turning his head to the side. "... Sorry, but I´m going to pass on that subject." he muttered.

Zell, who had been watching the exchange between the two rivals, felt excluded and decided to speak his mind "Yo! Let me in on it too."

Seifer turned his eyes to him and replied dryly "Mind your own bussiness."

Of course, the gunblader´s reply enraged the brawler. "Friggin´ hell...!!" he yelled as he sent a series of punches to the squad leader, who easily dodged them.

"What´s the matter Zell?" Seifer continued to tease the blond martial artist "Swatting flies?" He jumped backwards and turned around, his back facing Zell in a clear attempt to let him know he had far superior skills.

"Damn you..." the blond martial artist muttered as he punched the floor beneath his feet, while Seifer walked away. Zell´s eyes contained pure rage and he directed his scowl towards the now far figure of his nemesis.

_One of this days I´m gonna..._

"There you are!" yelled a feminine voice above them.

Squall and Zell turned around, finding a petite, slim girl standing on a rocky mound a couple of feet above their position. She started to walk down when another voice was heard behind her.

"Selphie, watch out!"

The raven-haired girl reached out for her friend, just as the brunette slipped. Due to Selphie´s momentum and the fact that there were loose rocks and dirt on the mound, Rosie tripped and both girls fell down ungracefully.

"Ouch!"

"Selphie, get off me!"

The male cadets watched as the girls scrambled to get to their feet, Zell´s face sporting a wide grin, while Squall´s expresion didn´t betray his amusement. Finally, both girls were able to stand up and looked towards the boys.

"Are you alright?" asked Zell

Rosie smiled shyly and nodded, while Selphie sent them a wink and poked out her tongue at their clumsiness before replying "Yeah, thanks."

"You are squad B, right?" asked the brunette.

Squall nodded but remained silent.

"See, I told you." Rosie said as she crossed her arms just below her breasts.

"Yeah, yeah..." Selphie shrugged. Her attention focused for a second on the young man in front of her and she immediately recognized him as the guy Rosie had left with when she arrived to the classroom that morning...

_Now I see why she wanted to come with me... Sly girl! _

_But I can´t blame her, in love and war..._

Selphie turned her head to the girl at her left and grinned, her head moving slightly in Squall´s direction. Rosie caught the indirect and turned her head down while she faked to undust her outfit. The veil her hair formed hiding the furious blush adorning her face.

"Anyway.." continued the brunette looking at the male cadets. "I´m a messenger from squad A. My name´s Selphie. And this..." she said turning towards her friend "..is Rosie, from squad C. We came to deliver a message to your captain his name´s..." she paused as though she was remembering something. "..Seifer, I belive."

"Yeah." replied Zell dryly. His anger towards the captain having diminished an ounce.

"Well, where is he?" asked the brunette.

Squall directed his gaze towards the path below their current position. Seifer´s figure was finally visible, as he rounded the corner where the path was lost behind some rocks. The brunet pointed towards him and noticed that his rival had already drawn Hyperion. His frown deepened.

_What the hell does he think he´s doing? _

_He´s not going to charge them alone, is he?_

Seifer stopped just before the tower´s entrance and turned to face Squall "One of this days I´m going to tell you about my ROMANTIC dream!" he said, his voice loud enough so the brunet could hear him.

_Romantic dream? _Squall thought as he watched the taller man turn around and disappear behind the metallic doors.

"Hey, Captain!" called Selphie, but when it was obvious Seifer hadn´t heard her – or had ignored her, for that matter – the brunette girl sighed in both frustration and resignation "This sure is tough..." she muttered. And then, for everyone´s astonishment, she jumped off the cliff they were standing while she yelled "Captain, wait up!"

Selphie landed flawlessly and ran towards the entrance. When she didn´t hear any footsteps behind her as she expected, the brunette turned around and saw the three Seed Cadets still standing on the cliff, staring at her. "What are you waiting for?!" she asked "Come on!"

"The girl is nuts..." muttered Zell under his breath, his mouth hanging slightly still in awe at Selphie´s reckless action.

Squall and Rosie were standing on the edge of the cliff. The male cadet retreated a few paces, clearly ready to follow Selphie´s lead. Zell turned to face him, baby blue eyes widening as he watched his comrades actions.

"Squall, you´re not gonna..." when the brunet´s body stopped and tensed announcing he was ready to jump, the martial artist panicked "It´s a cliff, man!"

"That´s the plan." replied the other male cadet before jumping.

Rosie watched Squall´s frame landing gracefully before turning to see as Zell gulped and prepared to follow the brunet´s lead. He looked at the raven-haired and she shook her head.

"Not in this life. I, for one, want to keep my limbs intact." she said before turning around and quickly running down the path.

Zell´s gaze returned to Squall and Selphie still waiting for them. "You´re not serious..." he muttered for himself. The martial artist took a deep breath and then jumped, crying out loud "GERONIMOOOOOO!!" He landed heavily on his feet just a couple of seconds before Rosie rounded the corner and covered the last metters between them.

Selphie looked at her arriving friend and placed her hands on her hips "It would have been much quicker if you had just jumped."

Rosie shrugged "Whatever..."

Squall turned his gaze towards her as he heard _**his**_line spoken by other lips. The raven-haired caught his stare and smiled, giggling inwardly at the expression she had chosen to use.

"Well, let´s get going." said Selphie as she drew her oversized nunkachus and walked toward the doors.

"So this is the Comunication Tower." muttered Zell

"Sure is big" added the brunette, looking up and arching her back so she could make more of it.

Suddenly, the doors opened and several galbadian soldiers ran unnarmed and in blind panic away from the tower and into the mountain path. Seifer emerged mere seconds after them, his gunblade dripping with blood.

"Cowards!" yelled the blonde, watching the galbadians disappear into the rocky area of the path. He then turned around and re-entered the facility, ignoring Selphie, who called him again.

"He´s getting away!" she muttered in frustration as she stepped into the tower, the other cadets following her close.

The inside of the large building was dark. Rosie´s eyes took a few seconds to adjust to her poor-lighted surroundings after having been in the sunny exterior. Right in the middle of the room was a large column, an elevator shaft. And all around it, several galbadian corpses laid scattered, their deadly wounds confirming Seifer´s hand behind the carnage. Rosie was still shocked by the number of lives the blond captain had taken, for this was not shown in the game.

_He´s a wild beast. _

_How can he sleep at night knowing he has slain so many people?_

"He´s not here." said Zell after his inspection of the chamber had been fruitless.

"Think he went up?" asked Selphie, looking at the elevator shaft.

"Yeah, unless he can dissapear at will." replied sarcastically Zell.

"Well, he kind of does, ne?" said a smiling Rosie as she stepped into the elevator, following Squall´s lead.

The other two cadets hurried to where their comrades were and Squall pressed the _up_ button. A loud humming was heard as the heavy lift started its way to the top of the tower.

Selphie approached the edge and looked down "Wow, this lift is pretty cool!" she said excitedly, leaning a little more and alarming Zell.

"Don´t get too excited or you´ll fall." He warned.

She turned to face him and rolled her eyes "Like I´m really going to!"


	13. Chapter 13 Battle on top

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII..._

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 13: Battle on top**

By CelestialRage

"Mayor Biggs!" called Liutenant Wedge approaching his supperior, whose attention was completely focused on the repairs at hand. The soldier looked around, his gaze hesitantly turning up at the huge, round structure that loomed above them. "Sir..." he said, scanning the metallic plate "There has been a report of a monster-shaped shadow on top of the tower." His gaze returned to his superior and when it was obvious he hadn´t heard a word of it, the soldier drew closer to the ranking officer and said louder "Mayor Biggs!"

Startled, the man in red armor turned to face his subbordinate. "Be quiet!" he grumpily ordered "Can´t you see I´m busy?"

The galbadian returned his attention to the panel in front of him. His armor-reinforced arms and hands resumed their work at the several connections. "This goes like this... and this goes there..." Suddenly, the tool he was working with broke. "Geez, what´s with this crappy old tools?" he shouted, angrily throwing the useless rusty stuff aside. Rage and frustration finally getting the best of him, Biggs snapped "And why do I have to do all the repairs?!" he stood up and repeatedly kicked the panel in front of him with all his might "AHHHH! I´M SICK OF IT!! AHHHHH!!"

Wedge gulped, deciding it was time to dismiss himself. The last he wanted was for his superior to take him on next. "Sir, I´ll check around while the repairs are being done." The soldier said retreating a few steps before turning around and walking at a fast pace, trying to place as much distance between the still fuming officer and his persona.

After a couple of minutes of kicking and screaming, Biggs had finally managed to settle himself enough to continue the repairs. "Let´s see..." he said taking a deep breath and picking up another tool from the box beside him "...hmm... I´ll put this here... and ... this goes there... and..."

The mayor was so focused in his work, he didn´t notice neither the lift stopping to his far right, nor the 4 SeeD cadets it carried.

"There! It´s complete!" shouted Biggs in ecstacy at his success.

Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet started shaking. Startled, the cadets stepped out of the lift. A deep humming sound could be heard all around them as the tower came back to life, its rusty mechanism activating after long years of being unused. The teenagers turned around as a large cylinder raised just near the elevator they had been standing on mere seconds before. The cylinder turned, the top splitting in three, an antena clearly visible between them. A second later, the parts became a disk around the antena, forming a satellite dish, while the device in the middle opened, several smaller antenas spreading from it, like rammifications from a branch. The dish glowed for a minute, a dim beam of light formed at the tip of the antena and shoot through the sky.

"What do you think you´re doing?" asked Squall, his voice startling the galbadian officer.

"Huh?" The red-cladded soldier turned around, only to find himself outnumbered by... kids. "Likewise, MISTER." Biggs said cockily "What do YOU think you´re doing?" Suddenly, he realized that in order to come here, the kids would have gotten through all the security on the main floor. "What happened to the soldiers down below?!" The galbadian officer´s gaze wandered from one teen to another, noticing the mean-looking weapons in their hands, Squall´s gunblade especially catching his eye. Feeling nervous, he called for his subbordinate "Wedge! Take care of this twerps!"

The cadets looked around expecting more foes... but none came.

"W...Wedge?" called the desperate mayor, scanning the area. The cadets stepped forward, making the officer even more nervous. "I... ah... I seem to have finished here... so... I´m leaving... jejeje..." muttered Biggs as he stepped cautiously towards the elevator, his arms raised in sign of surrender. _Move it! Move Move! _He thought, insting himself to move faster.

Suddenly, the lift´s sound was heard again. "Yeah!" the galbadian officer said as he turned around to face the cadets once more. "My men are on their way... you´ll see what´s good you little-"

He was cut off by a blade slashing his left arm.

"AHHH! Are you crazy!?" yelled Biggs when his supposed backup injured him. Clutching his arm, the officer turned around, his mouth dropping when instead of finding a unit of his forces, he came face to face with another blade-wielding kid.

"Sorry to crash the party." said Seifer smirking cockily, as he rested his gunblade casually on his shoulder. "Now, just shut up".

Enraged, Biggs focused his energy "Prepare for the worst, you brats!" he yelled, casting a Fire spell towards the recently arrived blond, catching the cadet squarely on the chest and hurling him a few feet away.

Squall bolted towards the galbadian officer, Zell hot on his heels. Suddenly, another spell struck the brunet gunblader, sending him away.

"Wedge!" yelled Biggs as he saw his subbordinate approaching. "Where the hell were you?!"

"I..." the soldier didn´t have time to finish, as a Thunder spell – courtesy of Rosie – struck him, paralizing him in place for a few seconds, while Selphie´s nunkachus hit him on the chest, knocking the soldier off his feet.

Biggs was engaged in a fist fight with Zell, blocking the cadet´s powerful punches with his armor-enhaced arms. He watched as his subbordinate picked himself up after receiving the girls´ attacks. "Wedge! No pay for you this month!" he yelled, spinning around Zell and sent him a jab, which the cadet easily blocked.

"... Should have stayed at home." muttered Wedge as he shook his head, the Thunder´s paralyzing effect diminishing. Before he had the time to attack the SeeD cadets, he was knocked again when the Mayor´s body collided with his after receiving a powerfull kick from Zell.

"Ugh!... Okay, I´m tired of this!" cried Biggs, drawing his weapon – a medium-sized black gun that resembled a Berreta, only wider and larger. Just below the cannon a laser scope was attached to maximize accurency.

The galbadian officer pointed at the blond martial artist, the red dot from the laser illuminating a small spot on Zell´s forehead. "You´re dead, son of a-" Just as the Mayor was about to pull the trigger, a large gust of wind picked them up, along with Seifer, who was near the galbadians.

"WHOOAA!!" screamed Wedge as the three of them were slammed against the metallic cylinder that had risen mere minutes before.

Squall lifted his gaze at the source of the powerful whirlind, his eyes widening as the foe came into view: a huge, violet, winged demon-like monster. Its bat-like wings sent gusts everytime they flapped and the huge, well-musculed arms ended in massive hands capable of gripping Squall´s frame easily. But the most shocking part was the hornet-like tail it had instead of legs, which looked pointy enough to pierce even through thick metal.

"What is THAT?!" Selphie screamed.

_Elvoret..._ thought Rosie. _And i__t´s far uglier and impressive than in the game._

The monster shrieked, enraged by the puny humans who had perturbed its nest. One of its massive hands extended towards Zell, the cadet barely escaping the monster´s intent by rolling to his left, while Rosie sent a Blizzard against the monster, the spell freezing the stretched limb.

Squall turned to see his squad leader, only to find Seifer laying out cold. Cursing inwardly, the cadet quickly considered their options. He drew Revolver and charged against the winged foe. Selphie and Zell were already in motion, the first one scanning their enemy, searching for any useful magic, while the second one sent the monster his trademark whirlind kick.

"A GF!" Selphie exclaimed "I´m going to draw it, maybe it would come in handy."

_I don´t think so, at least not in this battle..._ Rosie thought _But the other magic Elvoret holds is..._

Her thoughts were interrupted when Zell´s startled cry was heard. The monster had parried his kick, the cadet´s strenght doing little – if any – damage to the winged creature. Elvoret had grabbed the martial artist and was squeezing him tight, almost to a point of breaking his bones.

Squall jumped, his gunblade ready to strike. Revolver´s hard edge pierced the gigant hand´s flesh, forcing Elvoret to release the martial artist. Selphie quickly cast a Cure spell on the injured cadet, the warm light enveloping his form and regenerating his muscles.

Meanwhile, Rosie had drawn a couple of Double spells, using one on her and the other on Selphie, who was casting supporting magic as well. Squall´s blade raised again, this time injuring the monster´s left wing. Elvoret cried in pain and rage, as the SeeD cadet flipped backwards while sending a Fire spell against its other wing.

Zell was on the move again. As the monster descended thanks to the injures Squall had inflicted on its wings, the martial artist delivered a series of powerful jabs to its back.

Enraged, Elvoret released a shriek and a Thunder struck Zell, the electricity coursing through his body, paralizing him. Rosie cast a Cure spell on the blond, while Selphie used a couple of Fires on the monster, which amazingly - given the injures on its wings- was gaining altitude again.

"WATCH OUT!" Rosie screamed at her comrades when she recognized the position Elvoret was adopting. The monster sucked in air, its back arching slightly backwards. "It´s going to release that breath attack!!"

A powerful blast of wind emerged from its mouth catching Squall and Selphie in the whirlind it formed. The cadets were lifted from the floor and thrown against the metallic structure behind them. Rosie quickly used a couple of Cure spells on her comrades before being hit by one of Elvoret´s massive hands.

She flew several meters away, rolling slightly when she hit the floor and almost falling from the edge of the platform. The raven-haired used one of her curative spells on herself, while she tried to get up. Dark eyes widened as Elvoret approached her at amazing speed, a murdering intent clear in its eyes. Rosie quickly cast a Blizzard towards the monster, hitting its head and rolling aside while it was blinded by the thick layer of ice that enveloped its face.

Her hand rested on something whose texture was different from that of the platform´s floor. She turned her gaze quickly towards it and found Biggs´s weapon. The cadet took it and was immediately amazed by the lightness of the gun – given its size.

_I´ve never fired a real gun before, but at this close range I doubt even __**I**__ can fail._

Suddenly, another shriek from the monster was heard. Rosie looked up from the weapon in her hand and watched in awe as Squall´s gunblade pierced the monster´s back. The cadet used the sharp weapon as a hook as he stood on Elvoret´s head, who was thrashing wildly trying to shook the youngster away. Selphie struck the monster again with ice magic, the icicle trapping its lower body, diminishing its movement.

Rosie took aim, the laser scope aiding her greatly. The red spot stopped on the monster´s left eye a second before she pulled the trigger. The gun´s recoil took the raven-haired completely by surprise, her own startled cry lost when Elvoret shrieked in pain as the expansive bullet pierced its sensitive flesh, leaving it blind but not killing it.

Other gunshots were heard, this time coming from Squall´s gunblade. Three powerful blasts pierced the monster´s hard back, injuring it badly before the cadet jumped backwards, getting away of the now berserk beast.

Zell´s voice was then heard "Out of the way!! GF!!" he yelled. Apparently the blond had been busy summoning one of his Guardians.

Rosie bolted to her feet, following her comrades to a safe place. The three cadets ducked behind a pile of metallic parts.

"Wait! What about Seifer?!" the raven-haired asked worriedly when she remembered the blond captain was not with them.

Squall´s gaze shot immediatelly to the place where his rival was lying unconscious...

... only to find he was no longer there.

Elvoret´s thrashing continued, while Zell´s form was slowly enveloped by an amber light. The cadet´s eyes shot open when he heard another scream coming from the monster. The tip of a gunblade could be seen through the beast´s back.

_I never thought Squall was so damn reckless!!_ Zell thought, stopping his summoning The energy of the GF enveloped him painfully, the martial artist needing to use all his strenght in order to keep the Guardian at bay so it wouldn´t hurt his comrade.

The monster fell and Zell could see he had been wrong. It was Seifer who had charged against the winged beast even when he knew the other cadet was summoning a GF.

_That BASTARD!! _ The martial artist´s hands balled at his sides in rage at his captain´s irresponsible actions.

"TAKE THIS YOU UGLY SON OF A BITCH!" Seifer yelled as Hyperion slashed the monster´s flesh, while he emptied the gunblade´s barrel.

However, even after the taller blond´s onslaught, Elvoret was still alive.

"Damn it!" Squall cursed aloud, vaulting himself over the metal junk and bolting towards the monster, Revolver ready to strike again.

"Rosie, quick help me!" said Selphie as she also ran out of their hiding place, but instead of nearing Elvoret, she ran far from it. The raven-haired close on her heels.

"What is it?"

"We need to cast more powerful magic, but since none of us has upgraded their magical stores, our only choice is to combine them so we can have a powerful blast."

A dark eyebrow raised "How?"

"Let´s cast 2 Blizzards simultaneously, then leave it to me. I´ll shape them in the air."

Rosie nodded. "Okay, whenever you say." she focused her energy, calling forth the icy magic.

"Ready?" Selphie´s eyes narrowed in concentration "One... two... THREE!!"

Rosie willed the magic was cast, her body trembling due to the effort as not one but two Blizzards formed in the air. Selphie´s own magic floated along with hers, the brunette moved her arms, concentrating on the energy in front of her. Rosie watched in awe as the icycles colided, merging with each other and forming a huge blast of ice.

"Out of the way!" yelled the raven-haired, turning in the direction of the battle.

Her heart skipped a beat as the three male cadets were hurled by the monster´s breath again. Squall used his gunblade as anchor as he drove it down, piercing the platform´s floor slightly. Seifer was taken off-guard, his body flying a few meters before hitting against the floor, while Zell barely managed to grab the tip of Elvoret´s right wing, before being thrown a couple of meters away, ripping some of the monster´s flesh in the process.

The winged monster was exhausted, but rage kept it going.

Elvoret´s jaws opened again, drawing some more air and preparing for its last attack, now that the pesky morsels were defenseless. Suddenly, the air around it chilled and a powerful blast of ice struck it, the large limbs becoming paralized as a thick layer of ice covered its body, crushing its bones due to the massive pressure.

Elvoret shrieked one last time before the ice enveloped its head, the pressure crushing it instantly, finally killing the monster.

"Woo-hooo!!" yelled happily the already bouncing Selphie, celebrating her success.

"That was amazing!" said Rosie smiling, her dark gaze settled on her friend.

"Well, its a little trick my instructor taught me." replied the brunette as her smile broadened.

"You´ll have to teach me how to do that one of this days."

"Sure, as soon as we go back to... Oh! I almost forgot!!" exclaimed Selphie suddenly remembering her reason for being there. She ran towards Seifer, who was using a Cure spell to fix the few injuries he had suffered.

"Squad B captain, right?" asked the brunette smiling a little at the taller blond. When Seifer nodded, she gave him the SeeD salute "´Scuse me, I have new orders! All SeeDs and SeeD candidates are to withdraw at 1900 hours and assemble at the shore."

Seifer´s eyes widened before a deep frown formed on his face "What?! Withdraw?! But there are still enemies around!" he said angrily.

Selphie shrugged "I know, but I´m just a messenger."

Squall had already had enough of his captain´s bloodlust and daredevil attitude. If he wanted to get killed, fine. But dragging the rest of them with him, was something the brunet wasn´t about to let happen soon. "An order to withdraw takes priority" he reminded the blond, his arms folding over his chest "I don´t want to miss the vessel."

Seifer seemed to consider his rival´s words. Then directed his gaze towards Selphie and asked "What time did you say?"

The brunette sighed "Like I said... All SeeDs and SeeD candidates are to withdraw at 1900 hours and assemble at the shore."

"1900 hours, uh? ..." said the blond smirking "Well, we´ve only got 30 minutes." Seifer walked towards the elevator, grabbing Rosie´s hand when he passed near her. "C´mon, Kid."

"But..." the raven-haired had been so focused on searching the remote control Biggs used in the game to activate their next challenge she hadn´t noticed the taller man´s intent until he´d already dragged her to the nearby lift.

"You better hurry!" said Seifer winking as he pressed the down button, leaving the other three cadets on the platform.

"Heeey! Wait for us!" Selphie called him out.

"DAMN HIM!! I¨M GONNA KILL HIM!!" yelled Zell angrily. "Who the hell does he think he is?!"

Squall´s frown deepened, but he kept his thoughts to himself. His only reply was "Why don´t you ask him?" Then, pressing the down button, the brunet added "Let´s go."

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note: _

_And there it is: the way Rosie gained her weapon... but will she learn to use it? Or will she remain using magic the rest of the way? _

_Keep reading to know. ;D_

_As always, critics are welcome, so please read and review. It´s important for me, because that way I know whether you like the way the story is developing or not, so please take a few seconds to submit a comment, I´ll thank you a lot. (bows)_

_See ya next chapter!!_


	14. Chapter 14 Run for your life!

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII... but I´m still planing on to._

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 14: Run for your life!!**

By CelestialRage

"Why did you do that?" asked Rosie angrily as the blond captain sheathed his gunblade.

Seifer smirked "Hey, just look at it like a race to the shore. The three of them versus the two of us. But we´ve got the lead and are going to win, right Kid?"

Rosie folded her arms, the frown on her face deepening "We? Ha! As soon as this thing stops I´m going up again."

_You don´t know what you just did! _

_The last thing I want is to run all the way to the shore having a gigantic spider robot on my heels the whole way._

"Why?" Seifer took a few steps towards the raven-haired and smiled "C´mon, don´t tell me you´d rather stay with that bunch of losers instead of me?"

Her scowl deepened further and her voice raised in anger. "That bunch of losers, as you call them, are my friends. And yes, I rather be with them than having to stand your cocky attitude all the way to the shore."

Seifer was impressed.

No girl had ever told him off... well, except that girl he knew in Timber, but that was last summer... and instructor Trepe, but that was a completely different level. His grin returned as the lift reached the main floor. "Well, your loss, then... but if you ever change your mind, I´ll be around." with that, he stepped out of the elevator and walked towards the exit.

_Don´t worry, I won´t. _ She thought, but didn´t say anything else.

ooo ooo

"The _damn_ lift sure is taking its _damn_ time!" Zell said angrily as he paced from one side to the other of the small area near the elevator shaft.

"´Scuse me, but.. could you stop pacing like that?" chirped Selphie "It´s making me dizzy."

The blond martial artist turned to look at the tiny girl who was plopped on the metallic wreckage next to him. He shook his head a little "Sorry, old habits die hard."

Finally the lift reached their level and the three cadets were surprised to see it arrive along with a raven-haired girl, who they thought was now halfway to the shore.

"Rosie!" called Selphie smiling.

"Hey! Thought you could get rid of me that easily?" joked the other girl.

"No, we´re not lucky enough." replied the brunette giggling.

"C´mon, we´ve got only 27 minutes left." said coldly Squall as he stepped into the lift, the other 2 cadets following his lead.

"I... I need to look for something..." blurted Rosie, her voice making the brunet´s finger stop mere inches from the _down _button.

"What?! But we´re already late!!" replied Zell annoyed.

"Sorry but..." _I can´t tell them I want to find the remote control so the giant spider doesn´t come after us... _ The raven-haired´s mind raced with a plausible excuse, but – sadly – only came up with:"_ ... _I lost my contact lense." she muttered shyly before bitting her lower lip.

"Aww, c´mon you can buy another one later!" replied Selphie as she pressed the_ down_ button.

Rosie looked in dismay as the last chance to avoid the fight with the galbadian robot slipped past her fingers.

_And of all people, it had to be Selphie..._

ooo ooo

He cracked open an eye at the sound of the teenagers boarding the lift and finally leaving the platform. The galbadian officer was injured and incredibly tired, but not incapacitated and had decided not to risk another battle with those damn kids, especially since his only backup was still unconscious.

Suddenly remembering their "secret weapon" - which had been used to destroy most of the weak Dollet forces - Biggs pushed a grey button on the armor of his arm. The metallic reinforcement opened and he delivered a slim hand-sized grey control. The galbadian pushed a series of buttons while he muttered "Those little twerps are the targets!" Now go! GO and DESTROY them!!" he laughed maniacally before collapsing on the floor in utter exhaustion.

ooo ooo

When the lift finally arrived to the main floor, Zell jumped enthusiastically off it. "That battle sure was tough, uh?!" said the martial artist at his approaching comrades.

"C´mon, we have to hurry." said Rosie nervously, tightening her grip on the gun she was carrying and quickly walking out of the building. The martial artist followed her close.

"What´s wrong?" asked Selphie as she ran outside the building to join her comrades. "Look, it´s still early the sun hasn´t even started to come down!"

A faint tinny sound was heard, the one produced when metal scratched against metal. Squall´s frown deepended, as he stepped towards the exit.

"Run, now!!" Rosie yelled at her comrades as she bolted towards the mountain path.

"What´s with her?" muttered Zell, eyeing the retreating raven-haired curiously.

"... I don´t know, guess-" Selphie´s words were cut when Squall´s sharp voice was heard.

"Watch out!"

The other cadets turned in time to see as the brunet rolled to his side, avoiding a gigantic metal object that fell a couple of feet where the cadet had stood. At first, Selphie and Zell thought the object to be mere debris that had fallen from the platform due to the fight they had sustained with Elvoret, but when the supposedly junk started to move and stretch wide, heavy legs, the cadets panicked when the true nature of the object before them was revealed.

The most powerful Galbadian weapon, the X-ATM092 series, were designed to destroy everything in its path until its foes were defeated. Its structure was ergonomic, based in one of the most agile and depredatory animals: a spider, thus giving it incredible speed despite its massive size. "The Black Widow" as the galbadians normally called that robot´s model was a perfect balance between power and speed.

And now, it was going to prey on a group of SeeD cadets.

"RUN!" Rosie yelled as she cast a Thunder spell at the rising robot.

Squall jumped towards the spider-like machine, Revolver drawn and ready to strike. Zell´s punches did little – if any – damage to its armored side, while Selphie cast another Thunder, unfortunately for the cadets, the Double magic effect had wore off mere minutes before.

X-ATM092´s metallic body shuddered as the electrical magic coursed through it, severely damaging some of its secondary circuits. Zell focused his strenght in one side kick, making the heavy machinery to stumble, while Squall ducked avoiding one of its legs and brought his gunblade upwards, piercing the robot´s "abdomen". Another Thunder was cast by Rosie and the machine collapsed.

"What the hell was that thing?" asked Zell, watching the huge metallic form.

Squall shrugged and sheathed his gunblade "Who cares. Let´s go, we only have 20 minutes left now and we´re still far from the shore" he bolted towards the mountain path. Rosie was already running ahead from them again. Squall´s mind replayed the last few minutes, stormy eyes narrowing in thought

_She knew it... but how?_

ooo ooo

The sound of the cadet´s retreating footsteps vibrated throught the Black Widow´s metallic body, as the nanomachines that lived inside it started working. These microscopical machines´ duty was to repair all the malfunctions caused by external or internal damage, thus regenerating the robot´s energy and armor.

But the regenerating ability wasn´t all that made this model unique. Its superior AI analized the enemy´s weaknesses and abilities, thus planning the most effective strategy against their foes.

When the previous battle analysis was completed, the Black Widow knew who to strike first.

The robot´s visor displayed the info on the repairing process. 50... 60... 70...

ooo ooo

The cadets were just above the cliff where Selphie and Rosie had met them. Zell glanced to his side, noticing the tiny brunette suddenly coming to a halt.

"What´s wrong?" he asked, his head turning just so he could watch her face.

"W... where is it?" asked Selphie as her eyes frantically looked for something down their position.

Zell followed her gaze and understood her nervousness...

... X-ATM092 wasn´t there.

As if on cue, Rosie´s scream could be heard. The martial artist immediately turned his head towards the sound, only to find the giant spider-like robot was looming in front of the raven-haired girl. It had knocked her down, hitting her with one of its piston-like paws. Squall´s gunblade raised to parry the subsecuent blow, which was meant to anhiquilate the young woman.

"DAMN IT!!" Zell yelled as he bolted towards his comrades, his fists already clenched and ready for battle.

Selphie focused her energy and released another Thunder spell, hitting the machine on top of its "head", damaging many of its principal circuits. Despite the malfunctions the electric discharge had caused, the robot´s AI determined Selphie was a threat, as her use of magic – especially Thunder – could be a great problem for it.

So, it decided to act acordingly.

The back of the spider´s body opened and a huge cannon emerged. It pointed directly in the brunette´s direction, an incredible amount of energy emanating from the robot´s inner generators and focusing on the tip of the weapon.

Still, it had no chance to strike the cadet, for another Thunder spell was released - this time courtesy of Squall, who was still holding his weapon in order to contain the massive robot´s paw from harming the badly injured female cadet beneath it.

The cannon was neutralized, Zell took this oportunity to jump on the robot´s back and using all his GF-enhaced strenght, ripped the massive cannon from the spider´s body, while Selphie cast another Thunder spell just as the martial artist jumped off, striking the exposed circuits on its back.

X-ATM092´s circuits suffered a terrible breakdown, its energy storage decreasing suddenly below 30. The gigantic machine stumbled backwards, thus giving Squall the oportunity to grab Rosie and pull her out of the robot´s vicinity. She had already cast a Cure spell on herself, the wound she had received closing slowly.

"Hey! You ok?" asked Selphie as she approached her friend.

"Yeah, barely." replied the raven-haired. Then she returned her gaze to Squall and smiled "Thanks."

He just nodded back. "We have to hurry. We´ve less than 18 minutes left."

"Can you stand up?" asked Zell, placing a hand on Rosie´s shoulder.

She looked at him and smiled, "Yeah, don´t worry. Cure spells are a wonder." She replied as she got up. "C´mon, we have to hurry!"

ooo ooo

"Rosie hasn´t come back and it´s almost the time to withdraw." said Thelma, looking alternatively at the cuckoo clock behind the bar and the Dollet street leading to the Central Square.

"Well, she said we should withdraw whether she came here before the hour or not." replied Nida cooly, though inside he wasn´t as relaxed as he seemed.

_All this time just to deliver a message? _

_Something must have gone wrong... but we can´t leave our posts... should I call her disappereance in or not?_

After a brief silent moment, the male cadet folded his arms and said "We´ll give her five more minutes, then we´ll withdraw and report Instructor Aki she´s missing, okay?"

Thelma nodded and resumed her vigil on the street.

ooo ooo

After running at the fast pace Squall had lead them with, the cadets arrived to the bridge that connected Dollet with the mountain region. Rosie was quite surprised that the spider robot hadn´t appeared anymore, but nonetheless, she was grateful too.

Suddenly, the ground in front of Squall exploded, bricks and dust flying in every direction as the Black Widow made its appereance.

_Oh, crap! And here I was starting to think we had left it behind!_

"I thought we had already busted that thing up!" exclaimed Zell both in frustration and fear at the apparently invincible machine.

"Forget it, let´s go! We´ve only 10 minutes left!" yelled Squall as he sent a Thunder spell against the robot. The huge machine avoided the magical blast by leaping from one side of the cadets to the other. "Run!" ordered thr brunet, the other cadets following his lead. "We gotta make it to the vessel!"

Zell barely avoided being hit by the machine´s powerful claws, but Selphie was not as lucky, her left arm seriously damaged.

"Selphie!!" called Rosie as she bolted towards her friend. Her mind focusing, she gestured to the approaching robot. "Thunder!" she yelled...

... but nothing happened.

"I´m out of magic!" the raven-haired cried. Suddenly, she felt - rather than saw – the tall figure of Squall, the teenager´s weapon raised as he made his way towards the heavy machinery.

The brunet ducked under the robot´s massive body, Revolver slashing all the way the underside of the machine´s structure. Zell used a Cure spell on Selphie and dragged her out of harm´s way as Rosie focused her energy, an inner conversation being held inside her mind.

X-ATM092 frenzied. Having lost its ability to use the AI, its system locked on Squall´s image and the order to neutralize the cadet. It thrashed wildly, all its paws stomped in an attempt to crush the young man. Squall kept fighting, his gunblade shot a couple of bullets, which incapacitated one of the robot´s hind "legs", but this didn´t help to stop it.

"GF!" Rosie´s shout making the brunet´s gaze deviate for a second from the gigantic spider in front of him to the single, distant figure of the female cadet, her form glowing slightly in a green-yellow light..

He knew better than to be in a GF´s destructive path, so Squall applied the same manoeuver he had previously. He slipped under the robot´s massive body, rolling to the front and then sprinting all the way where his comrades had already taken cover.

Rosie could feel as the Guardian´s energy coursed through her entire being. Her limbs were on fire and an electrical shiver rolled down her spine. Finally, the energy seemed to pull out of her body, leaving a huge blackhole inside her, while the light that enveloped her form blinded her for a second.

The clouds gathered, they greyish appereance announcing the soon-to-fall storm. But no rain fell. Instead, several bolts of electricity shot from the heavens, uniting half way down and forming an energy pillar. A shriek was heard before a glowing green-yellow entity, resembling somewhat a bird, appeared. Its size doubled that of X-ATM092, towering over the machine as its massive wings extended and the Thunder God straightened in all its glory. Electricity could be seen coursing through its body before it was focused on the tip of its beak.

The energy that was generated was incredible.

It hit the spider-like robot, enveloping the metallic body, damaging its inner mechanisms and rendering the machine helpless.

Once it had incapacitated its summoner´s foe, Quetzalcoatl victorious screech filled the sky before the lightning bird vanished in a bright flash, returning to the mind it was junctioned with.

"Is everyone ok?" asked Rosie.

"Yeah. That was freaking awesome!" replied Zell as he jumped out of their hidding spot. He then directed his gaze towards the now defeated X-ATM092 and yelled "YEAH, BABY!! YOU LIKED THAT BI-"

Squall´s voice interrupted his celebration. "Cut it off. We gotta move it, only 5 minutes left." He said as he ran towards the city, the female cadets hot on his heels.

ooo ooo

Quistis stood at the beach, narrowed azure eyes scanning the nearby city´s entrance.

_Why aren´t they back? _

_What happened?_

She was about to go search Squad B, when suddenly a familiar figure came into sight. "Seifer..." she muttered relieved. But when it was obvious the blond was the only one approaching, her heart shrunk in anguish. The instructor approached the incoming cadet.and frowned "Seifer, where... where´s your squad?"

He looked behind him before returning his gaze to the blonde and smirked "They should be right on their way." he started to walk past Quistis "They´re too damn slow, I won they back easily."

"You.. what?!" The instructor shook her head un utter shock "You... you left your team?!"

"Hey! It´s not my fault if they can´t keep up." Seifer replied frowning, turning so he could face the instructor. "They should train harder, don´t you think?" With that, the blond cadet turned around and entered the vessel.

ooo ooo

"Finally you arrive!" said Instructor Aki as the two Squad C members approached. Noticing they were one cadet short, the SeeD asked "Where is the other girl, your squad leader?"

"She... well, she´s disappeared..." muttered Nida.

Aki´s eyes widened "WHAT?! When was the last time you saw her?"

"About almost an hour ago, sir." replied Thelma "Just after we established comunication with you. She left with Squad A´s messenger... Selphie. They were to deliver the withdraw order to Squad B... but she didn´t return."

The older man took a com device from the inside of the vessel´s cabin and called Squad A´s instructor. "Jeremy? It´s Aki. Has your messenger returned?... No?... I see... What?... Oh, nothing! I´m going to call on Quistis, she´s the one in charge of the B´s. I´ll call you right back."

"So Selphie hasn´t returned either?" asked Nida.

"No..." muttered Aki as he connected with the blonde SeeD. "Quistis? It´s Aki. Do you have any news on your team?"

ooo ooo

"No more, please!" cried Selphie as she heard the mechanical spider approaching again. Her whole body ached from the succesive battles she had to endure: first against Elvoret and then all the times they had supposedly disabled X-ATM092.

_There´s no end to this_. thought Squall, his limbs carrying him as fast as they could. The cadets made their way through the Central Square, the heavy machine right behind them. Its massive paws leaving dents wherever they hit the pavement.

As they approached Wendigo´s Bar, Rosie remembered her comrades were there.

_I hope they had followed my orders._

She spotted the building´s door and moved towards it, quickly opening it and stopping for a second as she looked into the main area. Not seeing any sign of her squad, she resumed her way almost immediately, the Black Widow a few meters behind them.

"Two minutes left" heaved Squall as he glanced at his watch.

"Stop telling me how many time we have left, man!" growled Zell "We´ve got enough problems as it is!" Despite the situation, Rosie couldn´t help but giggle slightly at the martial artist´s reply.

"Look! We made it, the beach is up ahead!" yelled happily Selphie.

X-ATM092 pushed forward, using almost all its energy reserves just to increase its speed. Squall noticed it and yelled "Move faster! It´s coming closer!" He stopped for a second, his energy focusing on the machine´s "head" as he released his last Thunder spell. The other cadets moved pass him, still running quickly with Zell now on the lead.

When they reached the stairway that connected the city with Lapkin Beach, Zell vaulted himself over the railing and yelled "Instructor Trepe!!"

ooo ooo

Quistis was already on the top of the vessel, her hands tightening around the heavy machinegun´s handles. She watched as Zell jumped down the stairs, Rosie and Selphie following him.

_Where is Squall?_ The blonde thought in anguish.

"Instructor!! Quick! There´s a... fucking robot chasing us!" wheezed Zell, approaching the vessel.

"Where´s Squall?" she asked

"He´s behind us... he-" the martial artist´s voice was lost as the sound of metal clashing against pavement was heard. The cadets spun around and watched in horror as X-ATM092 rammed against the arched entrance to the city, blowing it up and sending debris all around it. Among the dust and destruction, was a human form...

"SQUALL!!" cried Rosie, bolting towards the cadet, her arm pinned suddenly by a stronger hand.

"He´s going to be fine, c´mon." said Zell as he dragged the girl towards the vessel.

"I know it´s just..." muttered Rosie, her voice barely above a whisper, while her eyes focused on Squall´s frame as the cadet struggled to get on his feet. She sent her last Blizzard towards the robot, trapping one of its legs for a second, but it was enough so the SeeD cadet could bolt towards the vessel, placing a couple of meters between him and the Black Widow, which was quickly raising from where it had fallen once the stairway collapsed due to its massive weight.

Squall´s limbs carried him fast towards the vessel, his comrades waiting for him with anxious looks on their faces. As he neared the war vehicle, the metal clanging from the robot´s fast pace was heard again, drawing nearer with each passing second. His frown deepened as he focused all his strenght on his legs, willing them to move faster.

_C´mon, dammit! Move it!_

Out the corner of his eyes he could see the robot´s metallic paws, the machine clearly approaching dangerously to him.

_I´ve got just one shot. _

_If I don´t make it... it´s game over. _

The brunet clenched his teeth, while he gathered every last ounce of strenght he had left and leaped towards the vessel...

ooo ooo

Quistis couldn´t shoot for fear of hurting Squall in the process. Still, the blonde instructor kept her fingers on the triggers ready to push them when the oportunity arrived. She watched the brunet´s body tense, preparing for jumping onto the vessel.

_Now!!_ She thought, finally squeezing the machinegun triggers, catching X-ATM092 attention.

ooo ooo

"GET US OUT OF HERE!!" Xu commanded the pilot as the galbadian machine directed its attack towards the heavy machinegun, rocking the whole boat in the process.

Quistis´s fingers never left the triggers and kept firing, the high-calliber bullets piercing the robot´s thick armored body, damaging it´s power generators. The machine´s onslaught continued even when its circuits went ballistic. Finally, another round of bullets pierced its main energy core, disabling the other circuits and generating a multiple breakdown, one not even the million nanomachines inside the X-ATM092´s structure could repair.

The SeeD vessel pulled away as the robot stumbled backwards, the remaining energy gathering in its core and exploding, sending the machine´s parts flying several meters around.

ooo ooo

"Squall!" Rosie yelled happily as she ran towards him.

The panting cadet was plopped beside the now closed evacuation hatch. His head rested on his right knee as the rest of his body relaxed slowly after the near-death experience he just had.

She kneeled next to him, her voice softly saying "I´m glad you´re ok." when he directed his gaze at her, she smiled warmly "You got me scared for a second, you know?"

Wheezing, he replied "W...Whatever..."

All Rosie could do was giggle.

Suddenly a deep, sarcastic voice was heard "Squall...". both cadets turned to see Seifer, who had just abandoned the place he had been sitting through the whole ordeal. His trademark smirk adorned his face as he leaned against the nearby wall and said "You´re late. What took you so long?"


	15. Chapter 15 Home again

Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII... bla bla bla

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 15: Home again**

By CelestialRage

The sea was calm, the SeeD battleship returning home after what had been a definite victory.

Inside the vessel, "calm" was a relative term, for Zell was giving Quistis and Xu the details of their adventure. The teenager stood in front of the rest – because there wasn´t enough room for everybody to be seated since Squad B had two other guests among them – acting the events as though he was a theatrical performer. The teenager moved his hands and arms energically to emphasize certain points of his tale, his excited and loud voice resonating through the cabin.

"And then BANG!" yelled the hyperactive blond as he quickly clasped his hands "Selphie blasted that thing with a HUGE ice spell!"

Quistis and Xu turned to see the brunette girl, who blushed furiously at the attention she was receiving. "Rosie helped me too..." she muttered smiling.

"Barely. You did all the job, Selph." replied the raven-haired smiling, as she watched her friend through almost closed eyes. Rosie was so tired she felt like she could sleep a whole month. And between the softness of the seats (although crowded), the humming sound of the vessel´s engine and the rocky movements the vehicle made as it sailed towards Balamb, she finally gave in and fell asleep.

The other cadets – especially Selphie and Zell – continued their conversation. As the teenagers refered all the events of their most unusual Field Test, Quistis took mental note of everything in order to write her evaluation on each cadet´s performance.

Headmaster Cid would surely not be pleased to hear Seifer had led their team to another point of the region, thus abandoning their posts and risking that more galbadian forces had attacked – not only their fellow cadets – but the SeeDs that waited in the shore as well. Furthermore, the young captain had almost got him and his comrades killed due to his reckless actions, especially when he attacked the soldiers inside the Com Tower by himself. And to top that, Seifer had abandoned his squad just to win a silly race to the shore, leaving them in the clutches of a gigantic murdering robot which – had it not been for Quistis – surely would have not only killed the cadets, but also wrecked SeeD´s precious battleships.

_I don´t think Seifer would be "crowned" SeeD today... or ever._ Thought the blonde instructor, sparing a quick glance at the arrogant teenager. He had resumed the same position he had been in before arriving Dollet. _I highly doubt Cid would ever name him squad leader again, not after what happened today._

Finally, the vessel´s speed decreased, indicating the people inside they had arrived at Balamb´s decks.

"We´re home!" chirped happilly Selphie, her high-pitched voice suddenly awakening Rosie.

Startled, the raven-haired girl stood up, her right hand shooting in front of her as she said "CURE!" Her form was enveloped by a bright white light for a second, before she was fully awake and realized where she was.

The other cadets and SeeDs – except Squall – exploded in laughter.

"Oh, crap!" muttered Rosie embarrased as she sat again, her left hand covering her eyes and a deep blush spreading through her cheeks.

Beside her, Squall´s deep voice could be heard. "We should be glad it wasn´t an attack spell." His remark gained even more laughter from the other cabin´s occupants.

Rosie´s face turned a deeper shade of red. "I can´t believe even _**you**_ are making fun of me." She said while an akward smile was shown on her face.

Quistis´s laughter quieted a little as she walked to the metallic doors. Pressing the button to open them, the SeeD smiled at the others and said "Welcome home, cadets."

Relieved, the teenagers got out of the vessel. Zell stretched after being confined in such a small space for what he considered to be an eternity. While Selphie and Rosie happily welcomed the fresh salty air, Squall stopped to watch as the sun started to set, the orange-reddish orb sinking slightly in the cold ocean water. Meanwhile, Seifer had spotted his two friends and walked towards them.

"You´re free until 2000 hours when the SeeDship anouncement is taking place, be sure to get to Garden before that." said Quistis as she and Xu boarded an oficial Garden vehicle. Her gaze directed to Rosie and Selphie "You can buy some souvenirs..." her gaze turned to Squall "... have a review meeting..." and then to Zell "...it´s up to you. Though I´d recommend you go back and rest." She pointed to the remaining Garden car and nodded "Your transport is still waiting for you. You should hurry."

After that, Xu made them a goodbye sign and pulled the car out.

The four cadets looked as the SeeD car drove away. Suddenly, the sound of another engine startled them. The teenagers turned and watched as Seifer and his posse left in their transport without waiting for them.

"H- Hey!" Zell called, but – of course – Seifer just ignored him and continued driving. "Oh man! Not again! There goes Mr. EGO!"

Squall just shrugged, having expected nothing less from his rival. "Might as well walk it."

"All way back to Garden?!" complained the martial artist "Aww... man! "

"Well, at least we´ll be breathing some fresh air... instead of smoke from explosions." said Selphie, smiling brightly.

"... Guess we have no choice. But I ain´t leaving this town before eating something." replied Zell as he started walking. "C´mon my place´s this way and I bet my Ma has dinner ready."

ooo ooo

Quistis entered the Headmaster´s office.

When the blonde got in, she was surprised to see Instructor Aki there. She had been told that all the other instructors had already given Cid their reports on the mission and of every student´s actions. She stood at attention after giving the Headmaster the SeeD salute.

"Sir I have my report on the mission ready." Quistis said, presenting a manilla folder with Garden´s logo on it to the elder man.

"Good. Thank you, Quistis." replied Cid gently as he took the folder and placed it on his desk. He then gestured towards a chair. "Please take a seat. We have some things to discuss."

ooo ooo

"Hey Ma, I´m home!" shouted Zell as he stepped into the main hall of his small residence, the other 3 teenagers following him close. Rosie looked around the room and smiled. It was just as she remembered from the game and she could almost hear the song that normally accompanied Balamb Town. It was so cozy, she felt like she was home again.

"Zell what a surprise!" exclaimed the martial artist´s mother as she stepped out of the kitchen, cleaning her hands on a towel. Smiling, she hugged her son tightly. Noticing the other 3 cadets, the woman asked "Are these your friends?"

Zell nodded "Yeah, we just came from the Field Test."

"Oh, really!? You must be tired, come in please." She lead the cadets into the dinning room "Take a seat. I´ve prepared dinner and I assume you´re hungry. So... I´ll be right back."

ooo ooo

"I don´t think Seifer is cut out to be a SeeD." said Quistis, facing instructor Aki "It doesn´t matter how skillfull he is... his attitude isn´t good. You saw it today, he put his entire squad, not to mention those other 2 cadets, in danger."

"He´s the best fighter we´ve got!" replied the male SeeD. He turned to the Heamaster and said "Sir, if the cadets don´t have an appropriate guidance, this is what happens..."

"What are you implying?" asked Quistis indignantly.

Aki shook his head "Well, we all know you´re a rookie instructor, Trepe. I don´t doubt of your teaching aptitudes, but you lack control over problematic students such as Almasy. I´ve trained him and know he has an amazing potential."

"It´s useless if he can´t follow orders properly." replied a female voice. The SeeDs and Headmaster turned to see Xu, who had just entered the office. She saluted Cid and then switched her gaze to Aki "Seifer has a chronical disrespect for authority and doesn´t know the term "team work". He won´t be able to make it into SeeD if he doesn´t learn to work like one."

"So what do you suggest, Xu?" asked the male SeeD.

She shrugged leisurely "Expulsion."

"WHAT?! You´re not serious!" replied Aki. He turned to his superior, searching for the older man´s reaction. "Sir?"

"Xu´s right." Cid´s voice was gentle but firm. The Headmaster remained silent for a couple of minutes, considering his options. Finally he spoke again "I´ll have to look further into this matter." He turned to look towards the young people and nodded politely "Thank you for your time, you may resume your duties."

The three SeeDs saluted Cid and left his office in silence.

ooo ooo

"Oh, Hyne! Are you sure you don´t have any internal bleeding or something? It´s a miracle you made it out alive!" exclaimed Zell´s mother as she heard the last part of the teenager´s adventure.

The cadets had been in the martial artist´s house for about half an hour. Zell and Selphie were the main storytellers, talking excitedly about their oddisey. Rosie only intervened a few times, while Squall remained silent the entire time.

"Thank you very much, Mrs. Dincht. It was delicious!" said the raven-haired as she stood up and delivered her empty plate to the kitchen.

"I´m glad you liked it, dear." replied the older woman smiling.

Squall looked at his watch, stood up and pushed the chair to its original place. "We better get going." He nodded a little towards their hostess and said "Thank you for the food."

"Yeah! It was really awesome!" said cheerfully Selphie, helping Rosie to deliver the rest of the utensils to the kitchen.

"Oh, my! I´m so flattered, I´m turning red!" Mrs. Dincht chuckled. "Zell, you should bring your friends over more often. At least they do appreciate my food!"

Zell caught the indirect and quickly hugged his mom. "But I also like your cooking, Ma. Especially when you make hotdogs." finished the blond, grinning widely.

ooo ooo

Cid rubbed his temple as he shut down his computer. The Headmaster had already sent copies of the approved cadets´ list to the designated Faculty members, who would surely be more than pleased to get one of them to the Garden Master´s hands.

As if that greedy good-for-nothing cares about the students.

All he wants is to have more money and new SeeDs are the best means to make more profits... Garden is nothing but a huge bussiness to him...

Cid frowned. Where were the ideals, the _dreams _that founded Garden? Unfortunately, he had to admit they were burried underneath a thick burocratic and commercial layer. The only ones who knew Garden´s true purpose were him and _her..._

The Headmaster sighed, opening the top drawer from his desk. Cid retrieved a little plastic container, pulled open the top and took a couple of white chewable tablets. _Hyne bless the aspirins._ He thought as he placed the container back inside the drawer.

He had to make an "apparition" in the lobby first and then... NORG would surely request an audience with him.

ooo ooo

The way back to Garden was longer than expected, especially because Zell had insisted to guide them through a "shortcut", getting them lost in the middle of a forest which served as breeding grounds for the local Bite Bugs population. So, after fighting their way out, the cadets decided to follow the road that connected Garden with Balamb town, not risking any other chance encounters.

"Huuwaaaaah!" yawned Zell as he stretched his body. "Finally made it back."

"Yeah, we would have gotten here 20 minutes ago, but _**someone**_ lost us in the middle of the forest." said Rosie sarcastically.

"Seriously..." added Selphie, rubbing her tired feet.

The blond pouted "Hey, I said I was sorry!"

The girls´ laughter followed. "Don´t take it so seriously Zell. I was just kidding!" said the raven-haired as she looked at the martial artist´s frowning face.

Squall started walking towards the interior of the Main Gate, not really interested in hearing the other teenagers´ rambling. He was tired, his body ached from all the battles he had to endure, especially the one against X-ATM092. The last sprint towards the vessel had required all his strenght and left him exhausted. The only thing he wanted right now was to know the test´s results so he could go and have some rest.

"I think we should go inside, it´s getting late." said Selphie as she looked at her watch.

ooo ooo

Garden´s main hall was crowded. Instructors, students and field participants were all interested in knowing the results of the Field Test.

Squall spotted the Headmaster near the directory, having an animated conversation with Xu and Quistis. A male voice, however, made him look at his right.

"Rosie!" she turned at the sound of her name and smiled at the approaching Nida and Thelma.

"Hey guys! I´m glad to see you´re safe." said the raven-haired girl.

"Us?" replied Nida "We weren´t the ones chased by a gigant Galbadian robot all the way to the vessel."

Rosie´s eyes widened "How did you..?"

"You kidding?" interrupted Thelma "Everybody knows. It´s the hottest topic at Garden since the _'Hotdog Affair'._"

"Hotdog Affair?" asked Selphie, raising a fine eyebrow.

"Yeah, happened a couple of years ago. A whole shipment didn´t make it to the cafeteria, supposedly there was an unknown buyer... but who can eat 200 hotdogs?" said Nida.

"But there´s no evidence that just once person was involved!" replied Zell as he anxiously looked around. "I.. ah... I reminded I had to... well, see ya later!" said the martial artist before he left the hall at a fast pace.

Nida decided to drop the subject and shrugged "Anyway, I heard the Galbadian´s true objective was the Com Tower, is that true?"

"Yeah, they actually activated it." replied Selphie.

"But radiowaves are useless, even if they get the tower to work-" said Thelma frowning.

"Because of the worldwide interference." interrupted Squall, folding his arms over his chest as stormy eyes narrowed in thought.

_The Galbadians are not stupid enough to waste money, time and part of their army in activating something that´s not going to bring them some kind of benefit. _

_But what? _

_Maybe Cid knows..._ The brunet didn´t wait another second and without further word, he turned around, making a beeline for the Headmaster´s position.

ooo ooo

"Mission complete" said Xu smiling satisfied. She had noticed Cid´s sad demeanor - apparently the elder man had a very difficult time deciding what to do with Seifer - so the young woman tried to lighten the mood. "I think we did a pretty good job." she turned to see Quists "The cadets are back safely, right? Although we didn't realize the Galbadian army was after the abandoned communication tower."

Cid nodded. "In fact, we´ve just received word from the Dollet Dukedom. The galbadians have agreed to withdraw as long as the Communication Tower is repaired and the uplink remains operational."

Xu frowned. "What do they want with that Tower anyway? Well, I guess that´s not our bussiness... At least the Galbadians are out of there, so we can say SeeD did their job, as always." she looked at Quistis and smirked "We could have made more money if we´d stayed and caused more trouble."

Squall overheard that last part and couldn´t help but smirk briefly, his reaction was so quick one couldn´t be sure if it was real or not. Xu noticed his presence and smiled.

"Hey, you did pretty well!"

"Of course, he´s my best student." said Quistis smiling as she glanced at Squall. Noticing the cadet didn´t react to the compliments, she giggled slightly and added "Not very social, though." After the instructor had composed herself she said "The results for the test should be announced soon, so just wait around here."

"In fact, I was wondering if you know what Galbadia wanted with the Com Tower." replied Squall.

"No. I´m sorry, but we still have no clue." said Xu as she shook her head.

The brunet folded his arms again.

_How´s it possible? _

_Not even SeeD´s intelligence knows what Galbadia is planning!_

Oblivious to the cadet´s wondering, Cid smiled and asked "So, how did you feel out there on the battlefield, Squall?"

The teenager looked at his superior, the images from the battles playing back in his mind. Squall shrugged "Whatever."

Cid´s eyes widened. "Whatever?"

It was the weirdest answer he had heard to that question. Strangely enough, it was also the most accurate the older man had heard, for how could one explain all the feelings that came at once on the battlefield?

"That´s great!" The Headmaster looked as Squall turned around and left. Cid remained in his place, smiling as he muttered thoughtfully "Whatever..."

ooo ooo

Having obtained no answer to soothe his troubled thoughts, the brunet decided to at least take a seat while waiting for the results´ announcement. The cadet walked down the hall leading to the Library and sat on a bench near the central fountain. The place was deserted, which suited him just fine. It was comfortable and above all, peaceful.

"Hey, Squall!" a familiar – and normally not friendly – voice called.

He frowned.

_Great! _

_The least I wanted was to enrole myself in another useless conversation, much less with Seifer._

The taller cadet approached and leaned casually against the fountain´s edge. "D´you hear about the Com Tower?" He shook his head "I told you something didn´t look right! I can´t believe they were after that piece of crap all along! I mean, SeeD wouldn´t even had noticed if it weren´t for us... we could have been heroes if it hadn´t been for that withdraw order!"

"You were only looking for a fight!" an angry female voice was heard.

Both cadets turned to see as Quistis and Xu made their way towards them. The first´s voice was heard again "You disobeyed orders deliberately!"

"My dear instructor." replied Seifer in a mockingly indignat voice "I´m hurt. Those are rather cruel words for an aspiring student." His demeanor changed, a smirk showing on his face "A mediocre instructor like you would never understand."

Quistis eyes widened, her expression was a mix between hurt and anger. Enraged, Xu came to her friend´s assistance "Seifer, don´t be so stuck up yourself." Her tone was sharp and contained a very dangerous edge. If the blond pushed his luck further, the female SeeD was more than ready to put him in his place. "You´ll take full responsability for leaving the designated area and risking a galbadian counterattack."

Seifer shrugged "Isn´t it the captain´s duty to take the best possible action?"

Xu cut him off "Seifer, you´ll never make it to SeeD." Her eyes narrowed further, a wicked smirk formed on her lips as her voice became blunt and cold "And calling yourself a captain is a joke."

Seifer´s demeanor changed. He had been told off before, but never like this. Xu´s words cut through him as a sharpened knife would and shook his insides violently. The cadet´s mouth clenched shut, his fists balled at his sides as he directed his gaze towards the floor so he didn´t show the hurt and rage in his eyes.

Satisfied at the reaction her words had gotten from the arrogant teenager, Xu turned around and walked away, Quistis following close.

"Quistis." called the Headmaster´s voice.

The blonde instructor turned towards her approaching superior. "I´m sorry, but I just got a notice from the Garden Master. He wants us to assemble with him in an hour. Meet me at my office in 45 minutes, please."

_The Garden Master?_ She had never heard of him. _This can´t be good..._ Feeling suddenly anxious, she bowed slightly at the Headmaster and walked away.

Cid turned to look at the two gunbladers, his stance was firm – as always when he wanted to shield himself from any bad news, either when he was delivering or receiving them. The Headmaster finally spoke "Seifer." This gained the teenager´s attention, the blond looked up from the tiled floor and stared directly at Cid´s face. The older man shook his head and continued "You´ll be disciplined for your irresponsible behaviour. You must learn to follow orders exactly during combat."

_Disciplined and not expelled... _thought Cid.

_I considered it seriously, but your actions had a good angle too. You discovered the galbadian´s plot and defeated many of them... _

The Headmaster´s voice softened a little "Though, I´m not entirely without sympathy for you. I don´t want you to become machines. I want you all to be able to think and act for yourselves. I am..." Cid was cut off by a Faculty member.

"Headmaster Cid, you have some bussiness in your office..."

_Bussiness, eh? _

_Well, shouldn´t be so surprised. That´s NORG´s favorite word._

Cid shook his head to dismiss this thoughts and muttered "There are so many issues at hand here." He directed his gaze towards Seifer again "You´ll be announced of when and where the discipline meassures will take place." with that, the Headmaster turned and walked away.

Squall looked at his rival searching for any reactions. The blond cadet´s frown deepened and his balled fists tightened for a second before he sharply turned and stalked away.

ooo ooo

Rosie heard the three chimes preceding the Garden´s PDA system announcements, afterwards a male voice – most likely a Faculty member – called.

"_All the students who participated in today´s field exam, report to the second floor hallway. _

_I repeat. _

_All the students who took today´s field exam must report to the second floor hallway."_

Nida frowned "I thought they were going to announce it here as always."

"Something must be going on." replied Thelma shrugging. "No use thinking about it, let´s go."

ooo ooo

As Squall arrived to the hallway, he looked around searching for anyone he knew and spotting Zell immediately. The blond was pacing from one side to another of the reduced space, gaining annoyed stares from the other assembled cadets. When Squall approached, the martial artist looked up and offered him a small, weak smile.

"S´up?"

The brunet shrugged, still looking around he noticed 6 cadets were missing. "I thought there were more teams."

"Yeah, the place is quite narrow for all of us to be here, so those guys decided to split us. Squads A and C are on the other side of the hall." Zell replied as he nodded towards the opposite end of Garden´s second floor. "Guess it´s easier that way. said they´re going to call out names, one at the time..." his voice faltered a little at the end, obviously the martial artist was nervous.

The brunet´s attention was caught when Fujin and Raijin entered the hall, but despite what he had expected, Seifer was not with them. The albino woman walked past Squall, her only eye narrowing at his sight. Apparently, she was pissed with him, thought he didn´t know nor care why.

Raijin on the other hand, stopped in front of the brunet teenager and said "Fujin was saying it would be your fault if Seifer didn´t become a SeeD." The bronze man turned to watch his friend, who was leaning against the hall´s archway, her angry stare still fixed on Squall. Raijin turned towards the cadet and whispered "She can be pretty scary sometimes, ya know?!"

ooo ooo

Twenty more minutes passed.

Thelma strode from one side to another of the room, the skinny cadet was so irritated she swore to use her flamethrower on the first person that dare to bother her.

Rosie tried to remain calm and distracted her troubled mind chatting with Selphie and Nida, though most of her attention was focused on a lone figure leaning against the furthest wall.

_If I don´t pass, then he will meet Rinoa and..._ Her heart ached at the thought of them together. She closed her eyes trying to keep the tears at bay.

_Please God or Hyne or whatever you´re called here. _

_Please, let me pass! Let me be with him! _

_I promise I´ll stop smoking... _

_Wait I don´t smoke... well, I promise to help non-profit organizations, to seek world peace, to go to the church every Sunday... _

_Hell! I´ll even clean my room! _

_I´ll do whatever you want... just grant me this miracle, please!_

"Rosie, you alright?" Selphie´s concerned voice asked.

The raven-haired opened her eyes and smiled at the brunette in front of her. "Yeah, just a slight headache, Selph. Don´t worry."

Suddenly, the hall fell dead silent, a Faculty member entered that side of the hall carrying a list in his right hand. He cleared his throat and said:

"The following cadets have been accepted into SeeD and must assemble at the Headmaster´s office." he made a brief pause, mostly to increase the suspense and anxiety of the cadets. "From Squad A...

... Selphie Tilmitt."

"Woo-hoo!" the brunette jumped excitedly, while Rosie found herself smiling and hooting at her friend´s success, although she already knew it would happen.

"Go!" said the raven-haired as she lightly pushed the over-excited brunette towards the elevator hall.

"I´ll see you upstairs." replied Selphie smiling as she gave her friend a thumbs up.

Rosie smiled and nodded.

_I hope so._

ooo ooo

"Dincht" said amazed the Faculty member in charge of delivering the results to Squads B and D. "Zell Dincht" He couldn´t believe that kid had been accepted...

"OHHHHH YEAAAHHHHH!!" Zell yelled excitedly as he jumped once. He looked at the other students over his shoulder and grinned "See ya!!" After that, the martial artist happily walked towards the elevator.

ooo ooo

"Nida Banks"

The cadet´s eyes widened. He turned to look at Rosie "I... I passed?" he asked still in shock.

"Yeah! Go ahead!" replied the raven-haired giggling at his bewildered expression.

Nida walked slowly towards the elevator shaft, his legs barely able to carry him due to his astonishment.

The administrative staff shook his head and said "And finally..."

ooo ooo

"Squall Leonhart from Squad B."

ooo ooo

"Bennett... Rossane Bennett from Squad C."

Rosie´s jaw dropped.

"I..." her knees felt weak and she almost fell flat to the floor. Finally, after what had seemed an eternity, the raven-haired girl processed the news, her eyes shinning brightly as a wide smile came to her features

"I PASSED!!" she repeated excitedly while bouncing around numerous times.

Rosie was so happy she hugged the Faculty member briefly before running towards the elevator.

The administrative staff watched as she got into the cristal lift and shook his head. What would become of SeeD with cadets like this?

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note:_

_Sorry for the delay update, but I´ve had LOTS and LOTS of work._

_Well, she passed.. why? You´ll see next chapter (aside from the fact that she´s the main character so... :D ) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please keep reading and reviewing._

_Love ya all!!_


	16. Chapter 16 Dancing under the moonlight

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII... only a copy of the game._

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 16: Dancing under the moonlight**

By CelestialRage

It was the second time she had been in the Headmaster´s office in one day. When Rosie arrived, the other 4 cadets were waiting in the little hall. Selphie hugged her friend tightly as soon as she exited the lift, both cadets giggling happily.

Soon, the electronic doors opened, revealing Cid´s beautiful and large office. The Headmaster stood in the center of the room, smiling as he watched the 5 cadets walk towards him.

"These are the students who passed today´s Field Exam." announced a Faculty member.

The cadets came to a halt – Rosie falling a little behind – and saluted their superior. The Headmaster nodded and smiled "First of all, congratulations. Each of you have shown skills and attitudes proper from SeeDs." His gaze turned towards Squall, the first in line from left to right. "The leadership, combat skills and determination to get through any problem, not mattering the circumstances." next was Zell "The courage and power to take on any enemy." At his right was Selphie "The resources and wits to turn the tables on your favor." His next target was Nida "The teamwork and adaptability required to face your enemy." And finally, the Headmaster placed his gaze on Rosie "The cooperation and ability to take your team to victory."

"As you can see, each and every one of you have proven yourselves worthy of becoming SeeDs. You´ve gained your place among them. However... From now on, as a member of Garden´s elite mercenary force, you´ll be dispached all over the world." Cid´s gaze wandered from one face to another "SeeD soldiers are combat especialists, the best the world has to offer. BUT that´s only one aspect of it..." His tone became more serious, almost mysterious "When the time comes..."

The Faculty member that had introduced the cadets interrupted him "Headmaster... it´s almost time for the meeting, please make it short." when Cid remained silent, obviously annoyed by the sudden – not to mention rude – interruption, the administrative staff directed his words to the cadets "SeeD is a valuable asset to Garden. Its reputation is solely dependant on each one of you, so you must handle your missions with care." The faculty turned to face Cid and asked "Is that what you wanted to say, sir?"

The Headmaster didn´t reply, instead he took a bunch of thin black velvet boxes that rested on his desk.

"Here is your rank report, along with your SeeD documentation." said the Faculty as Cid handed the first box to Squall.

The Headmaster leaned a little towards him and whispered "Finally, a gunblade especialist." Squall didn´t show any reaction, although his eyes fixed on Cid´s for a second. The older man smiled and nodded, then he continued down the row.

Zell was trembling with excitement and as Cid handed him the velvet box, his sweaty hands almost made it fall. "Try to control your emotions a little." whispered the Headmaster, gaining a deep blush from the martial artist.

Selphie was next. Cid handed her the box and whispered "I´m looking forward to the Garden Festival." The brunette smiled widely and nodded. She couldn´t believe the Headmaster knew she was already enroled in the Festival committee.

When Nida held his velvet box, Cid said "Do your best, even if you don´t stand out." The newly appointed SeeD looked at the Headmaster, he knew Nida had potential, but not as much as some of his fellow SeeDs. He nodded and promised to do just that.

Finally, Cid reached Rosie. He smiled as the raven-haired took the velvet box and whispered "You live up to your promises." She looked at him, tilting her head slightly to the side in confusion. The older man chuckled slightly and said "You promised you wouldn´t let me down." Rosie´s face blushed at the compliment, she smiled and whispered a 'thanks'. Cid nodded slightly and returned the gesture. Afterwards, the Headmaster walked to the center of the room, signaled towards the cadets and said "We are proud to introduce Balamb Garden´s pride, SeeD mercenary forces." He smiled widely and said "This ends the SeeD inauguration... Dismissed!"

The new SeeDs saluted Cid and left the room, all except Rosie. She approached the Headmaster and said "Sir, I want to thank you again for the opportunity and trust you gave me."

Cid dismissed her thanks with a wave of his hand. "Don´t worry, dear. You´ve shown me you deserved it. Not only did you guide your squad towards your target and successfully completed your objectives, but you also cared enough for one of your fellow cadets to accompany her through the battlefield in order to deliver a message. That kind of cooperation is what determines whether a squad returns home complete or not... Not to mention the battles you and your comrades had to endure."

Rosie blushed again, gaining a chuckle from the older man. "Now go, you should get prepared for the Inauguration Ball."

She nodded and saluted the Headmaster before exiting the room.

Cid´s smile vanished as the Faculty member´s voice was heard "We should only wait Instructor Trepe before the meeting with the Garden Master."

He could feel another headache building.

ooo ooo

"SEEEDDDDD!!" yelled Selphie excitedly as she pranced around the elevator's hall in pure joy. "I can't believe it!!"

Her raven-haired friend smiled widely, unable to form a coherent sentence, such was her shock. She glanced towards Nida who was muttering something about years of suffering and ruling the Garden. A sudden move to her right caught her attention and Rosie turned to look at Squall as he walked towards the elevator.

Zell's voice made the brunet come to a halt "Hey, Squall! Let´s go back to class!"

"Why?" he asked turning his head enough to see the martial artist out the corner of his eyes.

"You forgot?" when Squall didn´t reply, Zell grinned and continued "Newly appointed SeeDs give a speech in front of the entire class!"

The brunet frowned "Whatever."

"Though yours will be quite short, I bet." joked the blond SeeD, gaining chuckles from the other 3 teenagers.

Not interested in hearing more babbling, Squall was about to leave when he caught the glimpse of a white trenchcoat just behind the martial artist's frame. The SeeD turned around and stared at his rival´s face, trying to read his expression.

Much to everyone´s surprise, Seifer smirked and clapped. No sarchastic comments were made nor superior attitudes displayed, just plain approval was shown in the blond's actions. Fujin and Raijin followed his example as did many other students already assembled in the second floor's hall.

The newly appointed SeeDs were in shock. Selphie and Rosie blushed, the first one placing her hands on her cheeks to cover her embarrasment. Zell grinned widely, while Nida smiled nervously and Squall nodded slightly, not sure how to handle the situation.

ooo ooo

Rosie emerged from the shower, her body felt relaxed and less sore than an hour ago. She chuckled as she remembered the speech each one of them – except for Squall, who just shrugged and left the room – gave. Selphie used the chair mostly in order to promote the Garden Festival's activities. Nida sluttered most of the time, so a large part of his speech was unintelligible. Zell, on the other hand, had spoken more than the 15 minutes tops that they were allowed to and it was necesary the intervention of several Faculty members to get him off the podium. Though, she had to admit the martial artist was the one who caught best the audience's attention. His performance of their oddisey was – in the raven-haired's opinion – worthy of an Oscar.

And her? Well, she had just smiled nervously and thanked all those who supported her along the way... the thing was, nobody in the Garden even knew her. Okay, it had been a complete dissaster, but it was the first time she had ever set foot on a podium... And what was she supposed to say anyway?

Rosie opened the plastic bag that contained her new SeeD uniform. Apparently, everything was well planned at Garden, for when she had gotten back to her room, her new attire was already there. She finished dressing and looked herself in the mirror. Her hand traced the gold lined collar and felt the smooth red tie that substituted the yellow bun from her cadet´s uniform. The blue shoulder pads contrasted beautifully with the attire´s general black color. One thing she noticed about the female version of the SeeD uniform was the chest decoration was less elaborate and it lacked the golden chain she had observed in Squall´s while playing the game.

_At least the skirt of this one isn´t that short._ She thought smiling, especially when she realized the furthest thing from her mind during the Field Exam had been showing her panties.

A sudden knock on the door made her nearly jump out of her skin. Rosie walked towards the door and opened it to reveal Selphie who was already attired in her SeeD uniform.

"Well, what do you think?" the brunette asked as she modeled her new attire. She glanced at her friend and placed her hands on her hips in a scolding way. "You haven´t even brushed your hair... I thought you were ready to go, the party is starting in 15 minutes."

"I´ll be ready in 5, promise." said Rosie smiling. "Come in."she turned around and walked towards the dresser. The brunette closed the door behind her and sat on her friend´s bed.

"So, are you going to ask him to dance?"

The raven-haired froze in place, her eyes widening at the question. That was the last thing Rosie thought Selphie would say. Nervous, she tried to feign she didn´t know what the tiny SeeD was talking about. "Who?"

But she wasn´t good at hiding her emotions.

"C´mon, you know who I´m talking about." replied Selphie, rolling her eyes. "You´ve been watching him ever since we got here."

Rosie smiled shyly as she turned to face her friend and shrugged casually "I guess..." _You guess? _

_C´mon Rosie that´s the plan! _

Selphie whinned "Aww, c´mon! I know you want to."

Rosie sighed defeated. "Okay, okay...I want him to dance with me." She crossed her arms above her chest and raised a dark eyebrow "Satisfied?"

"Nope. I´ll be satisfied once you get him on the dance floor." replied the brunette grinning.

The raven-haired rolled her eyes "Whatever."

"You know, both of you have that phrase in common." chuckled Selphie before ducking a pillow Rosie threw at her.

ooo ooo

The ballroom was on Garden's second floor. The elegant and beautifull chamber was already crowded when the girls arrived. Rosie stood breathless at the magnificence of the room. She had caught a glimpse of its general appereance in the game, but it was nothing compared to what she saw now.

Made entirely from the purest marble, the entire room seemed to glow in the golden light coming from the several lights sessile to the ceiling around the place. In the furthest part of the room, numerous tables and chairs were carefully distributed, obviously for the banquet the guests were going to enjoy. Next to that area was a shinny black stage where a small hired orchestra played waltz dances, which added a calm and sophisticated atmosphere to the celebration. Finally, Rosie´s eyes settled on the dance floor, where several couples were already dancing, activity she was willing to do soon.

"Look! There´s Zell!" said the small brunette, pointing to the furthest part of the room where the martial artist was already having his fill of the Garden's culinary services.

Rosie looked around the room not really interested in watching as Zell pushed food towards his mouth. _Where is he?_ She thought, scanning all the pillars in the room looking for a certain brunet.

"C´mon! Let´s have some fun!" said Selphie cheerfully as she took her friend´s hand and almost dragged her across the dance floor and towards the banquet area.

He had arrived to the ballroom almost 20 minutes ago. Frowning at the sight of so many people and feeling quite uncomfortable, the brunet walked towards one of the many balconies that gave the guests the oportunity to watch Balamb Garden´s nocturnal splendor and enjoy the fresh, tropical air.

Squall leaned against the railing watching the thousand lights that danced in the velvet sky. He had never been one for social reunions and this – although it was his graduation ball – wasn´t the exception. Squall just didn´t like parties.. or more than 4 people in the same room for that matter. He wasn´t fan of pointless conversation, which seemed to be a requisite in this kind of events.

_I don´t even know what I´m doing here... _

The stoic brunet was so deep in thought, he almost did´t notice when a small figure entered the balcony, ruining his solitude.

"Squall" a familar male voice said.

He turned. "Headmaster."

Cid smiled at the newly appointed SeeD and asked "What are you doing here, son?" He gestured to the inside of the ballroom "You should be in there having fun."

Squall shrugged. He didn´t give a damn about having fun, the only thing he wanted was to be left alone.

"Whatever."

Cid´s smile saddened "That´s your answer for everything isn´t it?" The Headmaster sighed and leaned against the railing, his gaze turning to the blinking stars "You know, you should learn to live each moment as if it was the last one." he seemed to be remembering something, his eyes shimmering for a second before he found the strenght to compose himself "You can regret if you dont, trust me." Cid said as he turned his head to look at Squall.

The teenager nodded, mostly so the older man didn´t continue his lecture but also because Squall held respect for his superior and even a little affection, which he couldn´t say for most of Garden´s population.

"Go ahead, son. The night is still young and this celebration is thrown especially for all of you." Cid said with a gentle smile.

Seeing the Headmaster wouldn´t leave him alone, the brunet sighed and walked towards the interior of the crowded room.

The older man watched him go. "I really wish you have fun, Squall. You´ve earned it." He muttered to himself before resuming his vigil on the stars.

ooo ooo

"Roshie, you shhould try shome of thish." said Zell as he placed a couple of small-sized hotdogs in his mouth.

The raven-haired sneered a little at the sight and replied "No, thanks. I´m not really hungry." She took a sip of her champagne while her gaze turned again towards the dance floor.

"Wanna dance?" asked a famliar male voice as a hand extended before her face.

"Seifer..." Rosie muttered surprised that the blond man was in the party. For what she had seen in the game, Squall´s rival was nowhere to be found during that event.

"I thought thish ball wash jusht for SheeDsh" said angrily Zell as he looked at the newly arrived.

"And I thought your mother had taught you not to speak with your mouth opened, chicken-wuss." replied dryly Seifer. He sneered and said "It´s disgusting."

The martial artist was about to stand up so he could finally beat the arrogant teenager to a pulp, when Rosie took Seifer´s hand and pulled him away from her friends' table. "C´mon, I´ll take your offer..let´s dance."

ooo ooo

Squall took the glass of champagne the waitress offered him. When she walked away he resumed his viewing of the dancing couples. The brunet had finally found a very comfortable spot in the furthest corner of the room. From there he could keep his distance and yet was visible enough so the Headmaster and any other who bothered to know his whereabouts could spot him from the dance floor.

After another sip of his champagne, he spotted a very familiar white trenchcoat in a corner of the dance floor. Squall was surprised Seifer had came to the ball – especially since only SeeDs and their couples were invited. But he was even more surprised when he realized his rival was dancing with a very familiar girl.

_Rosie? _

ooo ooo

"Why are you here?" she asked her dance partner.

"Well," Seifer said as he spun her around "I wanted to dance and drink champagne for one."

"Yeah, sure." Rosie replied sarchastically. "I know you... your type, I mean. There is always something else."

_You came here because of Rinoa._

"My type?" Seifer smirked "Well, what are you now? A shrink or something?"

"Nope... a phsychic." Rosie replied with a smirk of her own.

Seifer chuckled. "You´re something else." _You remind me of... shit! That´s right! I gotta find Cid._ He spun the raven-haired around once more before leaning her dramatically on his right arm. Leaning closer, he said as seductively as possible "Thanks for the dance, Kid. I gotta go."

Rosie panicked.

He was way too close for comfort, so she decided to act before he got any ideas. The raven-haired pushed him away slightly and nodded "Well, I see you later then." not waiting for a reply, Rosie walked away.

Seifer smirked as he watched her go. The blond shook his head and turned his attention to his primary reason for being at the ball.

ooo ooo

Squall emptied his glass.

Another smiling waitress offered him more champagne, which he thankfully accepted.

Fifteen minutes later, he was in the middle of his third glass, his gaze still fixed on the dancing couples. Suddenly, a very familiar voice was heard at his right.

"Thought the world would end before you wore that uniform before me."

Squall frowned at the sound of Seifer´s voice. His sarcastic tone had returned and the brunet could see his cynic smirk even without looking at him. Not even bothering in turning his head to regard his rival´s presence, the teenager muttered "Well, it´s still here. What does that tell you?"

Seifer snickered "That Hyne must be laughing his ass off."

Squall didn´t reply. The last thing he wanted or needed right now was to enrole in one of those pointless conversations he was thinking about earlier.

Much less with Seifer.

"Anyway, I was wondering if you´d seen Cid. Can´t find him anywhere." asked the blond, leaning against the same pillar as Squall.

"Last time I saw him was on that balcony" replied the brunet, nodding slightly towards his first 'hidding place'. The sooner his rival left him alone, the better.

Seifer nodded. "I better go. My dance partner must be waiting for me." He said as he winked and started his way towards the balcony.

_Dance partner?_

Squall watched his rival leave with narrowed eyes, before emptying his glass' contents.

ooo ooo

Rosie returned to her table. The raven-haired took her glass and drank almost half of the champagne in one draught. Gagging a little at the sudden heat in her throat, she eyed the blond SeeD in front of her and said "You owe me one."

"What?! Why?!" Zell asked, dropping his precious hotdog on the plate.

"Because of Seifer."

Zell frowned "Hey! I could have whooped his ass! He´s the one that owes you, not me."

Rosie rolled her eyes. "You don´t get it, do you?"

Selphie turned to see the martial artist and explained her friend's point "If you´d done that, you´d have been discharged. Imagine loosing your recently acquired SeeDship to a fight with Seifer!"

Rosie frowned "He has nothing to lose, but you do."

Zell was about to reply, but stopped. Considering their words, the martial artist frowned and muttered "Guess you´re right." He then gave both girls a small playfull smirk and added "But you know, it would have been worth it."

Rosie smirked, shaking her head before she finished her glass contents, while Selphie giggled and lifting her champagne, said "A toast to that!"

After placing the empty glass on the table, Rosie´s gaze wandered again through the ballroom, and this time she noticed a copper mop of hair in the furthest corner of the room. The raven-haired lifted on her toes a little to confirm her suspicion.

_It´s him!! Finally! _

_He had been there all the time? _

_But.. I would have noticed before... unless..._ She turned to see her chair. _Of course, I´ve been sitting the entire time! He´s completely out my line of sight._

Smacking herself on the forehead for her stupidity, Rosie decided to make up for the wasted time. She turned towards her friends and smiled "Well, if you excuse me, I have someone to ask to the dancefloor."

ooo ooo

Squall´s gaze was fixed on the orchestra. He liked the way the musical instruments joined their different voices and melted into a melody. Stormy eyes closed and the brunet focused on the music, trying to isolate it from the other hundred sounds in the room. However, his intent was cut off when the sound of footsteps came too close to him not to notice them. Squall opened his eyes and was surprised to see a smiling Rosie in front of him.

"Hi!" _Well, that was a good start... _

_God, my knees are trembling!! _

_C´mon Rosie say something else or he´s going to think you´re dumb!_

"You enjoying the party?" asked the raven-haired, tilting her head to the side a little.

Squall shrugged and took a sip of his champagne (the fourth glass of the night).

"I.. uhm..." Rosie bit her lower lip for a second, trying to muster up enough courage to ask him to dance.

_C¨mon, say it already!_

"Would you dance with me?" she blurted out ungraciously. Her deep brown eyes locked with his directly and intently, hope and fear evident in them.

Squall´s frown deepened. "I thought you already had a dance partner." he said coldly.

Her eyes widened "Dance partner? Who..?" her heart skipped a beat.

_Seifer... _

_Oh, crap! Did Squall saw us dancing?_

She smiled weakly and shook her head trying to dismiss the event "You mean Seifer... He´s not my dance partner, I was just – "

"That´s not what he said" interrupted Squall´s sharp voice.

"What he said? What do you mean?" asked Rosie frowning.

"Whatever." replied Squall, untangling himself from the pillar "Your affairs are not of my bussiness. If you want to know, why don´t you ask him?" asked the young SeeD as he walked pass her.

Rosie turned around quickly "Wait!" her voice stopped him dead on his tracks. Squall´s head turned a little to the side to regard her "Whatever Seifer said is a lie." Her voice turned a little weaker "Please, dance with me, Squall."

But he just turned around and left her standing near the pillar.

Rosie´s eyes stung as she watched him walk away. Her heart ached so much, she thought it would rip appart inside her chest. She wanted nothing more than to get out of there, but her legs were so weak she couldn´t even move. The raven-haired leaned against the pillar for support and walked around it, so she could hide in the shadows.

ooo ooo

"Huff! Nobody wants to join the Garden Festival Comittee..." pouted Selphie as she took a seat next to Zell. The brunette had been asking all around the ballroom if anyone wanted to be part of the comittee, but to no avail. She was new in Balamb Garden and didn't know how much job running that Festival was required, but everyone else knew better than to enrole in such a massive task, especially with their SeeD duties at hand.

Selphie looked at the martial artist and smiled sweetly "Zell, would you like to –"

"Fat chance." He said before letting her continue.

"Awww!!" the brunette pouted again and folded her arms. Suddenly, emerald eyes spotted Squall... alone. "Where´s Rosie?" muttered the tiny SeeD worriedly.

The martial artist raised a golden eyebrow in confusion "Uh? She said she was going to be on the dance floor, right?"

"Yeah. But there's Squall and he's alone." replied the brunette girl pointing in the young man's direction.

Zell's eyes widdened "You mean Rosie was refering to _Squall_ when she said she was going to ask someone to dance?

Selphie nodded, her gaze not leaving the dance floor searching for her friend.

"The guy's like an icycle." Zell said, gaining the brunette's attention "Hope she's fine."

ooo ooo

Meanwhile, Squall had encountered another spot where he could be without being bothered. The last minutes played again for his mind´s eye. The brunet closed his eyes, trying to shake the memories off, but to no avail. Sighing, he finally settled his gaze on the glass rooftop and the night sky overhead.

A shinning shooting star ran across the night, Squall following its path until it was out of view. At the lower edege of his vision he spotted someone looking upward too. He glanced down and saw a raven-haired girl, more or less his age. She was wearing a cream – rather short for a formal ocassion like this – dress. Feeling his gaze, the girl turned around and smiled at the young man, her hand going up in a gesture that seemed to say 'Did you see that too?'

Confused, Squall´s head turned slightly to the side. She took his gesture as a sign of interest and decided to approach. Once she was nearer, her smile widened at the sight of the young man in front of her.

"You´re the best looking guy here." Her voice was soft and confident. "Dance with me?" she asked seductively as she settled her deep brown eyes on his.

_I have a deja-vú..._

ooo ooo

Twenty minutes had passed since Squall left her standing near the pillar. The pain in her heart was not less potent and her eyes ached after all the crying. Rosie had finally managed to settle herself, afraid someone might hear her. It had took all her strenght and will just to stand up without needing the pillar's support.

"Look! Oh, I can't believe that!" a male voice said.

"What? Oh, Hyne is that possible?" replied a female voice.

"He's dancing!" said another female voice.

Intrigued by the conversation of the nearby voices, Rosie walked from behind the pillar, her gaze following the direction one of the female SeeDs was pointing at.

Her heart fell again.

Squall was in the middle of the dance floor.

Rinoa was with him.

_I have to get out of here!!_

Not able to watch them dance, Rosie hurriedly made her way towards the door, all the way trying to hide her tears from the other guests.

ooo ooo

The room was lit by multi-colored lights. Squall turned his gaze towards the marvelous fireworks.

_Garden has spared no expense on this celebration. _he thought. His gaze returned downwards, suddenly attracted by a raven-haired SeeD hurriedly ascending the little staircase that led towards the exit.

The girl in front of him shifted, catching the brunet's attention. She looked at someone over his shoulder and then returned her gaze to Squall before stepping away from him "Thanks for the dance."

Flashing the brunet a quick smile, she walked off towards a group of people. The girl seemed to call over someone as she raised one arm. Squall's eyes widened a little as he noticed a blond man dressed in a white trenchcoat returning her salute.

_His dance partner..._ Squall thought.

His gaze returned quickly to the stairway, only to find Rosie wasn't there anymore.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note: _

_Okay, don´t kill me! I know many of you won´t like this chap, but I promise I´m going to make it up for Rosie later. It was a very difficult decision whether to have Squall and Rosie dancing or make something different. I decided to do this, because I guess Squall would feel like second fiddle if he danced with Rosie after she did it with Seifer (and I´m sure he doesn't want that!), besides I wanted to do something unexpected (many of you were already supposing they were going to dance, right?). But trust me, going this way develops more interesting further situations. _

_Hope you liked it!_

_See ya! (if you don´t send me any explosive e-mails, jajaja)_

_Please read and review_


	17. Chapter 17 Troubled Minds

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII..._

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 17: Troubled minds**

By CelestialRage

Rosie shut her dorm´s door, leaning against it for support. She closed her teary eyes as she slidded down until she was sitting on the floor. Pulling her legs towards her chest, the raven-haired leaned her arms on her knees, cradling her face on them as tears rolled over her cheeks again.

_Squall was with her... _

Her mind played again the conversation Rosie had with him, the way he had left her and how he was holding Rinoa as they spun graciously around. Although she tried hard not to think of the later, her mind seemed to enjoy torturing her.

_Did he rejected me because I danced with Seifer? _

_No... surely he doesn´t like me, that´s all..._

Her heart ached again, more tears coming to her eyes.

ooo ooo

Squall realized his mistake.

Seifer was refering to the girl he had danced with, not Rosie when he said something about his dance partner.

Although guilt was out of his normal range of emotions, Squall Leonhart felt quite guilty at that moment. Why had he reacted like that to Rosie´s plead?

Suddenly realizing he was still in the middle of the dance floor and feeling the stares of other guests, the teenager walked towards the nearest balcony. He needed air and solace to muse over his mixed thoughts.

ooo ooo

Cid walked around the ballroom, greeting guests and taking some time to have a little conversation with each of them. After settling a little bussiness affair that presented in a very short dress, the Headmaster found himself in a more lighten mood. The reunion with NORG had developed in a very disappointing outcome, one of his best instructors had been discharged and, although the Headmaster had tried to talk some sense on NORG's thick head, the Garden Master had refused to hear his arguments. To him, Quistis's bad instruction and lacking leadership habilities were the cause Seifer didn´t make it into SeeD, thus keeping Garden from the fruitful amount of money the young blond could make.

The only thing that had saved Quistis of being discharged from Garden was the fact that she was a very talented SeeD herself, therefore she was very profitable and NORG wasn´t about to let that money slip easily.

Cid´s gaze was attracted by a couple of newly appointed SeeDs sitting on a nearby table. The Headmaster smiled proudly as he started his way towards the teenagers.

"Really? He was walking with her this morning?" Cid heard Zell say as he approached their table "That´s new."

"Why is he always so cold?" asked Selphie absently twirling the end of her curly hair.

"Now that´s the million gil question!" replied Zell as he grabbed another mini-sized hotdog "Like why do they make hotdogs this little? They are hardly enjoyable." said the martial artist tossing it in his mouth.

"Because there are other 80 persons invited to this party and these are not meant as the dinner´s main course." said Cid standing beside Zell. The blond teenager almost dropped his precious hotdogs as he quickly stood up and saluted his superior, gaining a slight chuckle from the older man. "At ease, son." said Cid gently palming the SeeD's back.

Once Zell had returned to his position, the Headmaster asked "Are you enjoying the party?"

Selphie smiled and nodded "Yeah, thank you. The ballroom is gorgeous. We don´t have anything like this in Trabia."

"I guess that´s why you´re sent here to do the Field Test, right? So you don´t have to celebrate inside an igloo or something like that." said Zell grinning.

Selphie frowned, placing her hands on her hips "Hey, that wasn´t nice!"

The Headmaster chuckled again at the exchange between the 2 teenagers. He was glad the SeeDs kept their sense of humor after the hard trials they had endured today. _And talking about new SeeDs..._ "Where are Nida and Rosie?" asked Cid. "They are the only ones I haven´t seen yet."

Zell shrugged "Last time I saw Nida, he was dancing with Xu." How the rookie SeeD achieved to dance with the Headmaster's beautiful right hand still eluded him

"And Rosie went to dance with Squall." chirped Selphie.

That statement surprised the Headmaster, who didn´t bother to hide it "So, Squall took Rosie to the dance floor?!"

Selphie shook her head "Nope. It actually was the other way around."

Cid sighed "Figures." He was about to say something else when a Faculty member tapped his shoulder, catching the Headmaster´s attention.

"Sir, these are the assignated rooms for the new SeeDs, along with their respective keycards." said he administrative staff as he handed the older man a folder.

"I see, thank you." Once the Faculty was a few feet away, Cid returned his gaze towards the teenagers, opened the folder and searched its insides. Finally, he produced a couple of keycards which he handed each of them "Well, here you go."

The dorm cards were almost the same as the ones held by the common Garden population, only SeeD's were blue and thinner than the other ones, resembling a lot the SeeD's credit cards, which had a very important feature: a DNA reader chip which rendered the card useless unless its owner was holding it, thus preventing any kind of robbery or fraud, especially since SeeDs held lots of money in their accounts.

"Wow!" exclaimed Selphie as she held the card close to her face, so much she went almost crossed-eyed for a second.

"It sure pays to be a SeeD." said Zell, admiring the electronic devices on the back of the keycard.

"Only the best for the bests." replied Cid smiling. The only thing the Headmaster thought was good about Garden being a profitable bussiness was that the SeeDs and cadets were able to enjoy the best human and material resources available.

Of course, SeeDs had many priviledges normal cadets didn't, like their more spacious, individual rooms, a monthly salary with lots of zeros in them and curfew exceptions – though rarely used, because the Faculty normally didn't allow them – as well as the possibility of taking Garden vehicles (asking them first, of course).

The Headmaster smiled as he looked around, gazing at all the dancing couples. "I don´t see your friends anywhere." said Cid, returning his eyes towards the new SeeDs. The Headmaster handed Zell other 2 keycards "These are for Squall and Rosie." said the older man "Please deliver them for me."

Zell nodded "Yes, sir. Don´t worry, I will."

Cid smiled "Thank you. Well, I have to go, so enjoy the party." Suddenly remembering something, the older man turned around "Oh! I almost forgot... A new group of students are arriving tomorrow, so if you could vacate your cadet rooms tonight it would be really helpful." Cid smiled again and turned to leave.

"Tonight?! Man, I can´t believe it!" said Zell after the Headmaster was gone.

"Well, we can help each other to move. That way it would be faster, don´t you think?" offered Selphie smiling.

The martial artist turned to look at her. "Yeah, it would. Thanks Selphie."

"But before that..." the brunette took Rosie´s keycard from Zell´s hands. "I´ll deliver this one." said the tiny girl as she stood up.

"Hey! Why do I have to deliver Squall's?" protested the blond.

"Well, you seem to know him better, at least better than me that´s for sure." Emerald eyes scanned the room once more before narrowing slightly. "Besides, I´m worried about Rosie, she´s not in the dance floor... and I can´t see her anywhere."

"Well, neither Squall." shrugged Zell. The martial artist took another tiny hotdog and casually said "Maybe they are.. you know..." he smiled mischievously.

Selphie´s eyes widened "You think so?"

Zell took a moment to think about it and shook his head "Nah... Squall has never shown interest in any girl, not that I know at least." He tossed the food in his mouth and said "You sshould look for Roshie. I´ll try to find Shquall."

Selphie nodded "I´ll see you here in 20 minutes, ´kay?" Zell nodded and the brunette turned to leave.

ooo ooo

Balamb´s salty breeze caressed his soft, copper hair. The night's events played repeatedly in his mind, making blue-grey eyes narrow. Squall's thoughts were interrupted by approaching footsteps, followed by a very familiar voice.

"You really are an excellent student. Even that dance was perfect."

The brunet turned his head a little, just enough to regard Quistis. He nodded slightly and said "Thank you." Then he returned his gaze to the velvet nocturnal sky. Still, after his cold reply, Squall could feel Quistis's presence behind him, the blonde instructor refusing to leave. The teenager sighed, annoyed at being disturbed again

"Yes?" he asked dryly, hoping Quistis would either tell him whatever was on her mind or take it as a hint and finally leave him alone.

Instead, the blonde frowned "So you´ll dance with someone you don´t even know, but you can´t stand being around me?" her voice sounding hurt.

"...Whatever." replied Squall.

_Quistis I really don´t need this right now... _

_I have too many things in my mind. _

_Besides... _He turned around and said "You´re an instructor and I´m your student." The brunet placed a hand on his hip as he continued "It´s kind of awkward when you don´t say anything."

Quistis's eyes widened a little when he said this.

_Of course! _

_C´mon Quistis, you´re taking things very personal._

She chuckled slightly, surprising Squall. "That´s true. I was like that myself." The blonde sighed "Oh, I completely forgot... I wonder what's to become of me?" Quistis tone became serious all of a sudden "I´ve come to give you an order."

_An order?_ Squall frowned. What could she possibly want at that time of the night and in the middle of his graduation ball?

"You and I are going to the 'Secret Area' inside the Training Center." said the blonde smiling a little.

_The Secret Area?_ Squall's frown deepened. That place was well-known around Garden, especially amongst the young couples.

The so-called Secret Area was nothing else beside a roofless room, resembling more a balcony, where several turbines kept the air in the Training Center fresh and circulating. Since it required little – if any – maintenance, the place was perfect for nocturnal meetings between students, some of which ended in a lot more than just talking.

"What do you want to do there? Are we going there to tell everyone they´re violating the curfew?" Squall asked. He folded his arms and added "If that´s the case, forget it. Leave that for the Disciplinary Committee."

Quistis laughed, though he didn´t see the humor in it. When she finally controled her laughter, the blonde said "Go get changed and meet me in front of the Training Center. This will be my last order."

_Last order? _

_What does she mean?_ wondered Squall as he walked pass her.

At least, now he had a good excuse to leave the party, aside form the fact that he could use some time inside the Training Center. Fighting always helped him to put things into perspective.

ooo ooo

Ten minutes later, Squall – dressed in his daily black outfit and carrying his trademark gunblade – arrived to the Training Center. Quistis was already waiting for him. He noticed the blonde was armed too. Both knew not to take unnecessary chances, especially with the T-Rexaurs roaming around the place.

The thought of his last encounter with a T-Rexaur revolved around his mind.

He entered the Training Center, the first thing he heard were the shrieks of a dying grat, followed almost immediately by the gigant, floor-shaking footsteps of a huge T-Rexaur. Squall dashed through the thick jungle and was surprised when he noticed Rosie was holding Selphie and the later seemed unconscious. When the prehistoric monster lunged for the raven-haired girl, Squall quickly made his way to the top of a nearby mound of rocks and, drawing Revolver, jumped towards the monster´s upper jaw...

Quistis´s voice broke him from his silent musing "Well, we´re settled. Let´s go."

Squall nodded and prepared his weapon, his mind finally focusing on the surrounding jungle.

ooo ooo

A sudden knock on the door made her jump. Not in the mood to see anyone, Rosie stayed silent, wishing her visitor would think she wasn´t there and go away.

"Rosie? Are you there?" came Selphie´s soft voice.

_Please, Selphie just go away..._

After a couple of minutes in which both girls remained silent, the brunette's voice was heard again "I came to deliver your new SeeD keycard."

The tiny girl had been looking for her friend all over the ballroom, asking the guests if they had seen her.

"I saw a girl like the one you describe" said a male SeeD "She left 30 minutes ago, and for the look of it, she seemed to be in a hurry."

Selphie thanked him and left the ballroom, deciding the best place to search for Rosie was in her room.

Now, the petite SeeD stood in front of her friend´s closed door, holding her SeeD keycard in her left hand. Selphie kneeled and slided the blue item down the door. "Cid said we have to move over to our new quarters tonight." She made a pause waiting for some kind of response. When she got none, Selphie continued "Zell is going to help me move. So, we can come over and give you a hand after that."

A muffled voice came from inside the locked dorm "Thank you, Selphie... I´ll manage on my own... Please, I need to be alone now..."

The sad edge in Rosie´s voice, made the brunette´s heart ache. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. _**Please**_... leave me alone."

The tiny SeeD nodded and stood up. She placed a hand on the raven-haired´s door and whispered "If you need anything, call me." when no reply came, Selphie sighed and silently walked away from Rosie´s dorm.

ooo ooo

"Yo, Squall! Man, are you in there?!" yelled Zell as he knocked hard on the door. When no response came, the blond hit the door harder "Hey, man! I came to deliver something to ya. Open up!"

Selphie rounded the corner at the moment Zell delivered another hard blow to the brunet's door. "C'mon man! I don´t have the whole frickin' night!" said exasperated the martial artist.

"I guess he´s not home." said Selphie, approaching the blond.

"Me and my rotten luck!" muttered Zell as he looked at the SeeD keycard he was holding.

Selphie smiled brightly and she suggested "Why don´t we start moving our things and then come back? I´m sure he'll be here by then."

Zell nodded "You´re right. C´mon Selphie, let´s go."

ooo ooo

Squall´s gunblade slashed across the grat´s tentacles, the monster hissed in pain as the sharp blade tore it´s flesh. Quistis casted another Fire spell towards an approaching grat, burning the mutant plant to a crisp.

After the battle was over, both SeeDs resumed their way. When they arrived to the Secret Area, Quistis pressed her ear against the door, trying to hear if any inappropiate activities were going on. When only the sound of muffled chatter was audible, the blonde woman opened the door and entered the reduced space, Squall following her close.

Quistis sighed "I haven´t been here for a while."

Two young couples were the only occupants of the intimate space that night. Both of them were just chatting, the conversation mostly whispered so the others couldn´t make a lot of it. But it really didn´t matter, every student knew that whatever happened inside the Secret Area was personal and they had to respect their fellow students' privacy. It was an unwritten rule among cadets and SeeDs alike.

Squall and Quistis leaned on the railing of the balcony, their gazes fixed on the majestuosity of Balamb Garden's central dome. The gorgeous building was illuminated by its nocturnal lights, glowing like a gigant neon sign. Squall didn´t knew which was better, the night view of Garden or its daylight look.

After a couple of silent minutes, Quistis voice was heard "What time is it?"

Squall frowned and turned his head to look at her briefly. He couldn´t believe she had asked such a moronic question. _She´d best have something real to tell me or else..._ "It´s after midnight." He said dryly.

"Oh, well..." she muttered, slumping slightly, her gaze still fixed on Garden´s nocturnal view.

Quistis's continued silence started to annoy Squall. He was tired, grouchy and still had a lot to sort out in his mind. The only thing the brunet wanted right now was to return to the peace and solitude of his dorm and call it a day.

_Why the hell doesn't she say what's on her mind already so I can go on with my life?_ thought angrily Squall.

As though she had read his mind, the blonde suddenly spoke.

"I, Quistis Trepe am no longer an Instructor as of now." She said looking to the stars above their heads.

Suddenly, her words on the ballroom´s balcony made sense to Squall. _My last order..._ Surprised at her statement, the brunet turned to look at her. Quistis's expression was sad but at the same time calm, like she had already accepted the news on her demotion.

"I´m a member of SeeD now, just like you." She said, her deep, blue eyes gazing at his grey-blue ones. A very little smile formed on her lips as she shrugged slightly "Who knows, maybe we´ll end up working together."

"...Oh, really?" was Squall's cold reply.

She looked hurt "Is that all you´re going to say?"

The brunet shrugged and turned around completely, his back and elbows leaning heavily against the railing. "If that´s how it was decided, you have to abide by it."

_I do. _

_If you can't change it, then why bother?_

_You must adapt to the changes around you, that's the only way to survive. Maybe you won't like it, but complaining won't help you either, just make you hate it even more._

Quistis turned her head to watch Garden again, her mind analizing Squall's brief but truthful response. She sighed.

_He´s right... I can't live in the past..._

After a couple of silent minutes, the blonde's voice was heard again, her tone carrying a sad and hurt edge "They told me I failed as an Instructor. Basically, that I lacked leadership qualities." She shook her head slightly. It was still hard for her to believe that statement. "I was a SeeD at 15, got my instructor licence at 17..." Quistis continued, her sad voice barely above a whisper "It´s only been a year since I got it..." she frowned "I wonder where I went wrong... I did my best..." Quistis turned to watch Squall as the last words left her lips.

The brunet was looking at the door and apparently had´t heard a single word she had said.

Angry, Quistis asked "Are you even listening?"

Even angrier, Squall replied "Are you done yet?"

_I'm sure there are people who would gladly listen to your problems, just I'm not one of them._

"I don´t want to talk about it" He shrugged and motioned vaguely with his left arm. "What am I supposed to say about other people's problems?"

Quistis was hurt "I don't want you to say anything." She looked even more intently at the man in front of her "I just want you to listen."

Squall was too tired for this. He stepped away from the railing he was leaning on and said coldly "Then go talk to a wall."

_It would be basically the same..._

His reply shocked Quistis. She couldn't believe he was that uncaring! The blonde frowned "Aren't there times when you want to share your feelings with someone?" she asked.

_Sometimes, but I don´t want others to be involved in my affairs. _

_What good could I do if I go around shouting my problems to the world instead of working them out by myself? _

_Besides, you can´t rely on people. _

_One day they´re there by your side and the next... you´re all alone. _

_I don´t want to depend on anyone, or to have anyone depending on me._

"Everyone has to take care of themselves." replied Squall, folding his arms above his chest "I don´t want to carry anyone's burden." his icy stare settled on the shocked Quistis. When she didn't say anything else and having stated his case, the young man exited the room without a second glance.

Quistis looked as he walked away, tears stinging the corner of her azure eyes.

_I can´t even get one of my students to open up to me..._ She bit her lip and whispered "No leadership qualities... failed instructor..." Her gaze turned down to look at the floor as a single tear rolled down her right cheek, her voice barely leaving her lips.

"Perhaps they´re right..."

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

Author´s note:

Hi!! Hope you liked this chapter! It´s a little shorter than the last ones, but I still hope you enjoyed it.

I want to thank all the reviewers, especially Revir who has honored me by drawing some scenes from this fanfic. I have to say her work is EXCELLENT!! You should check it out in Photobucket, search for the album called irisa007 and check inside the Fanfics folder.

Thanks again Revir! You rock!!

See ya later!!


	18. Chapter 18 A hint from the past

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII.._.

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 18: A hint from the past**

By CelestialRage

Quistis walked out of the Secret Area, her reason for being there already gone. The blonde SeeD walked slowly towards the exit of the Training Center when suddenly a cry was heard.

"Somebody help!!"

A young woman was in trouble.

Quistis's whip uncoiled, the SeeD running towards the source of the sound. Another pair of footsteps joined her own, she turned to her right and watched as Squall bolted towards the same place as her. Another cry was heard, this time closer, and followed by a monstruous growl.

_Granaldo!_ thought Quistis, readying her junctions. Those monsters were rare in the Training Center, especially because they only got out of their lairs at night, so not many students had the chance to encounter one of them. _Until now..._ she thought worriedly.

Squall vaulted himself over a fallen tree, his right hand drawing Revolver as he landed. His gaze was focused on the monster in front of him. The adult Granaldo resembled a huge hornet, with sharp claws and teeth, as well as a powerful, spiked long tail. Its dragonfly-like wings carried him graceful and dangerously around the petite human, who tried to hide behind a rock.

When Squall got a good look to the young female, he was shocked.

_It´s her... the girl I saw in the infirmary this morning!_

The girl´s head turned around to look at him, recognition evident in her widened eyes as she called his name. "Squall!"

This further confused the young SeeD. _How does she know my name?_

At that moment, Quistis made her way over the fallen tree. The girl looked at her newly arrived savior and asked, uncertainty clear in her voice "Quisty?"

The ex-instructor looked at the girl confused, but had no chance to ponder deeper, because the Granaldo let a loud battle scream and dived towards the SeeDs.

Squall brought up Revolver to parry the monster´s attack, but the sheer force and momentum of Granaldo hurl him backwards against the fallen tree. Quistis's whip bolted towards the monster, the sharp tip injuring its tail and gaining a painful cry from the Granaldo.

Squall was already on his feet, the SeeD focused his energy and cast a Blizzard spell towards the monster, trapping a couple of its wings, thus forcing the monster to descend various feet, it´s remaining wings not powerful enough to carry its weight.

Squall charged, Revolver ready to strike. Suddenly, the monster used a spell of its own on the SeeD. Due to his momentum, Squall wasn´t able to avoid being hit by the curse and his vision become suddenly blurred. Then, all he could see was darkness.

_Damn! I´m blinded!_ He thought as he frantically searched his rear pocket for one of the eyedrops he had retrieved from the infirmary that morning.

Quistis covered him, sending another blast of chill air towards the monster, trapping it on the jungle floor. The Granaldo emitted a gutural shriek, the sound reverberating through the faccility.

As Squall applied the eyedrops to heal his blindness, the floor began to shake slightly. Quistis turned around and watched as three rock boulders approached. The ex-instructor´s whip flew and as soon as it hit one of the rocks, it came to a halt, the other two following its example shortly after.

"Raldos!!" warned Quistis, her voice directed to Squall, though her eyes never left the newly arrived monsters.

The brunet nodded. He knew this monsters were tough. Despite their looks, they were quite fast and thanks to their rock-like bodies were also quite hard to pierce too. The worst thing was, they never appeared alone.

The SeeDs knew they had to act quick and efficiently if they wanted not only to save their lives but that of the girl who was still covering behind a rock not far from the battle scenario.

Squall focused on the Raldos and felt the magic they held. The SeeD drew a couple of Protect spells, applying one on Quistis and the other on himself. The blonde woman attacked the rocky monsters, a blaze leaving her hands as she casted a Fira spell towards one of the Raldos. The flames were more powerful that those caused by a simple Fire magic, quickly enveloping the Raldo and melting a part of its body.

The monster shrieked in pain and anger, its companions releasing battle cries of their own as they rolled quickly towards the ex-instructor.

Squall casted a Fire spell, its sheer force halting the Raldo in its place for a moment, giving Quistis the chance to avoid the monsters´s attack. The blonde woman counterattacked the monsters's advance with a powerful blast of energy coming from her eyes.

Suddenly, another roar was heard.

Granaldo had finally worked its way through the ice layer that kept it trapped and now flew towards the SeeDs.

Quickly, Squall ran towards a nearby tree, the Granaldo right behind him. The SeeD's boot planted firmly on its trunk just to get the impulse he required to fly on the opposite direction. Squall jumped, bringing Revolver up and ahead and met Granaldo´s insect chest with the sharp blade. The gunblade's trigger was squeezed twice, opening a huge gash on the monster´s body.

Fatally injured, Granaldo fell to the ground, painful groans leaving its body.

"GF!" the blonde woman´s voice was heard. Squall drew some Shell spells from the agonizing insect-like monster and bolted towards the covering girl. He quickly cast a spell around them both, to protect themselves from the Guardian´s magic if needed be.

The Training Center´s temperature rose.

Suddenly, the jungle´s floor trembled, this time the earthquake was far stronger than the one provoqued by the Raldo´s. A huge crack opened and huge flames immediately erupted from it, as though it was the gate to Hell. This sensation was further emphazised when a bulky, horned creature emerged from the opening, it´s fiery red hair seemed to have been formed by the flames surrounding its muscular form. The Guardian let out a battle roar and jumped high, surprisingly sustaining its massive body on the air, as though it wasn´t heavier than a feather.

Its cat-like features suddenly illuminated by a gigant flame ball formed by its will alone. Ifrit raised a little more as he brought its arms down, the powerful limbs hitting the flame sphere with all their raw strenght. When the magical energy hit the ground, the Raldos´s rocky bodies melted instantly, transforming in a little lava puddle. Ifrit´s right hand raised and another crack was made on the jungle´s floor, this time just below the now melted monsters, sucking the hot mass and confining it inside the Flame Lord´s realm.

After searching for more immediate threats for its master and finding none, Ifrit´s physical form dissapeared and the GF returned to the mind of its summoner.

"There she is!!" a male voice was heard.

Squall and Quistis turned to see as a couple of white-clad men quickly descended from a nearby rocky mound. One of them took the girl´s arm and helped her on her feet.

"Are you alright?" he worriedly asked, scanning her lithe form for injures.

"Yes, thanks to them." said the girl as she warmly smiled towards the SeeDs.

"It´s not safe here. Please let´s go." said the other man.

His comrade nodded and put an arm around the girl´s shoulders as he walked her out of the faccility. The girl remained silent and only turned her head to watch her saviors with a soft and – oddly – sad smile on her face.

"Thank you." said the remaining man as he bowed slightly towards the SeeDs.

Squall and Quistis watched him leave shortly after. The girl and the other man were already out of sight.

"Who was that...?" asked the blonde confused as she shook her head "And how did she know our names?"

"No clue." replied Squall, his frowned deepened.

_It sure is strange... _

The brunet sighed and sheathed Revolver as he resumed his way towards the exit. He was way too tired to think about anything right now.

Fortunatelly for them, no other monsters were attracted by their battle against Granaldo and his Raldo friends and the SeeDs were able to make it quickly to the exit. Quistis had – thankfully for Squall – remained silent the entire time, her mind going around that night's events. When they reached the hallway that connected the Training Center with the Main Hall, she decided to try and leave the brunet with something to think about.

"Squall..." her soft voice made him come to a halt, the male SeeD´s head turned slightly to regard her. "It´s not like everyone can get by on their own, you know?"

The male SeeD sighed. Seemed his luck didn't last long...

_Not again!_

He was expecting her to give him another lecture and was truly surprised when the ex-instructor left it like that. She walked pass him and continued to walk away, without even looking behind her.

He frowned.

"Says who?" Squall muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. He could take care of himself, he didn´t need of anyone or anything to survive.

_Relying on others is a dangerous and weak thing. _

_They could always leave you or betray you... I won´t risk feeling depending on others. _

_I´m strong enough to take care of myself._

ooo ooo

Zell sighed.

Man! He was bored!

The blond was leaning against the dorms' hallway railing, his gaze fixed on the dark gardens surrounding the main building. The early summer moonlight sent silver rays on the trees and flowers, making them appear as though they were part of a fairy's courtyard.

The sound of heavy footsteps made him turn his head. The blond smiled relieved at the sight of the approaching siluete.

"Yo, Squall! Finally there you are!" he said, his loud voice sounding even louder due to the silence surrounding the dorm area. Zell seemed to have noticed this and lowered his voice "Where the hell have you been, man? I´ve been looking for ya all over the place!"

"Whatever." replied Squall shrugging. "What is it?"

"Well, we´re both members of SeeD, right? Well, guess what!" Zell searched inside his left pocket and produced a blue card "We´ve got our own rooms, baby!" he said excitedly, his voice gaining volume again.

The martial artist handed Squall the keycard "Here. Your new room's right across the hall from your old one. Man, it took me forever to tell ya"

The brunet nodded and remained silent, inspecting the keycard.

Zell folded his arms and stood on his right leg, his left one crossed in front of the other. "Cid told us to move to our new rooms tonight." when Squall´s gaze shot from the card to his face, the martial artist chuckled slightly "Don´t worry, man! I´ve already took care of your things. They´re on your new dorm. Selphie and I have already moved too."

"Thanks." replied Squall before resuming his walk.

"Hey, no prob!" said Zell as he watched the other man leave.

ooo ooo

_Okay... I shouldn't have thank him so quickly..._

Squall shook his head at the complete dissaster the martial artist had left in his new room. The martial artist had left Squall's books on the floor, along with some of his clothes, especially his boxers. His gunblade case was leaning against a wall, at least Zell had apparently treated it with more care than he had the other things.

_I´ll just go to sleep..._

Squall sighed and walked towards his bed, which was covered with the rest of the young man´s clothes and magazines. Too tired to tidy his new dorm, Squall pushed the things off his bed and placed Revolver on the table near his bed, not even bothering in placing it back inside its case as he always did. The brunetl removed his jacket, boots and leather pants, leaving them on the floor near his bed.

The SeeD turned the desk's lamp off and laid down. His tired body slowly relaxing as he covered himself with the white blanket. His mind revolved once more around that day's events and the way they had changed his life.

A couple of minutes later, he was already asleep.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note:_

_Okay, I know this battle was quite fast and easy, but it was like that in the game... I mean, after running all the way from X-ATM092 (and defeating him so you could achieve the 50 AP), Granaldo and the Raldos are a joke. Besides, I decided to do the battle smooth and easy on them, especially Squall._

_I think he had enough battles for one day, so let´s give the man a break!_

_Hope you enjoyed it! And if you haven´t seen Revir´s work, please check it out. Trust me, it´s worth your time!! :D_

_See ya on next chap!!_


	19. Chapter 19 Way back to love

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII..._

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 19: A way back to love**

By CelestialRage

She was walking through the crowd, her eyes never leaving his form. She noticed a girl in a cream-white dress had approached him and started flirting, though he didn´t seem interested.

Her steps grew quicker, walking as fast as her legs could carry her, but never approaching his position. Rosie's despair increased when the other girl suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him from the wall towards the dance floor.

She started running in place but no matter how fast she did, Rosie´s position never changed. Exhausted, she called his name.

"SQUALL!!" she yelled, her voice filling the elegant chamber, though no one around seemed to notice the sound.

"SQUALL!! SQUALL!!" tears were rolling again down her cheek as she watched Rinoa place his right hand over her waist.

"Squall..." she whispered tiredly. The ache in her heart increasing as she watched Squall and Rinoa dance flawlessly, their bodies getting closer. "Look at me... please..."

Rosie´s eyes widdened as he leaned over Rinoa, his face turning slightly so his lips could meet hers...

"NO!!" she screamed.

Then she woke up.

Her heart raced and she could feel wetness on her cheeks. Rosie´s puffy eyes stung a little due to the morning light that illuminated the double dorm as though it was Bahamut´s Mega Flare. Not to mention, she had cried great part of the night, falling asleep out of pure exhaustion.

The raven-haired was still plopped on the floor, her back leaning against the door, her legs were still pulled towards her chest and her arms rested on her knees. She tried to stir, her whole body aching at the effort.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, she was able to stand up and walk a little so her numb limbs could regain their normal mobility. Her mind went around in circles on the last part of her dream.

_It was just a dream, Rosie... _

_C´mon you have to pull yourself together, okay? _She closed her stinging eyes feeling the warm tears behind her eyelids. _Don´t cry anymore... don´t cry anymore... don´t... _

But the tears were already falling again.

Frustrated at her weakness, the raven-haired walked towards the bathroom, slamming the door after her. She opened the faucet and let the cold water run down her face, wishing it could wash away her sorrow and ache.

.. Or at least leave her face numb enough to stop the tears.

Her head lifted and she was greeted by her reflection in the mirror. _My! I look awful!!_ She thought as her gaze wandered through her features. Her eyes were surrounded by dark circles, clear evidence she had a rough night. Her skin was pale and her cheeks had red marks from sleeping on her clothed arms.

Hearing a knock on the door, the young woman took a towel and dried her face. "Coming!" she said as she moved towards the door.

She opened it and was surprised to see a couple of girls – who couldn´t be more than 12 years old - standing outside her dorm. "What can I do for you?" she asked eyeing the smaller teens.

"Well... One of those Faculty members told us this was our room..." said a blonde girl with pigtails.

"Yeah, guess he was wrong." said the other, a brunette girl with short hair.

Suddenly remembering what Selphie had told her last night, Rosie´s face blushed. "Oh, no! It´s completely my fault!" said the raven-haired as she stepped again inside the dorm. "Come in, please."

The girls entered the double dorm, watching as the newly appointed SeeD moved from one side to the other of the room, retrieving her few possessions and placing them on the bed. "I´m sorry, I forgot I had to move last night! I´ll be out of here in a second, I promise." said Rosie as she kneeled and took her tennis from underneath the bed.

When she was over and had all her things in her arms, the SeeD turned to the girls and smiled shyly "I´m sorry again. Really."

The blonde girl smiled "Don´t worry. Seems you had a rough night,uh? Being a new SeeD and all.."

Rosie´s face turned a brighter shade of red "Yeah, kind of." the SeeD decided to dismiss herself "Well, I gotta go. And sorry again..." then she hurriedly walked out of the dorm.

The raven-haired made her way through the hallway, her new keycard held tightly in her hand. Fortunatelly for her, she had placed it inside her right pocket last night as soon as Selphie was out of earshot, otherwise Rosie was sure it would already be laying on the floor in front of the door.

The other students watched her as she walked by. Some of them chuckling at the sight of the new SeeD hurriedly transporting her belongings – mostly clothes – to her new quarters.

_Okay... this is quite embarassing... _

_I highly doubt there is something that could possibly top this. _Rosie thought as she increased her pace to get to her destination as quickly as possible.

Finally, she arrived to the SeeD section of the dorms, her door labeled 125. Just when she was about to open her door, a _buzz_ behind her attracted the raven-haired's attention, making her turn her head.

She froze.

_I think I was wrong..._

Squall was emerging from his new dorm, which – unfortunatelly at that moment for her – stood just in front of hers. _Crap!_ Rosie thought as she frantically tried to open her door. She slipped the keycard too fast, gaining a red light from the electronic door. The raven-haired tried again but obtained the same result.

"You have to do it slower." His deep voice made her visibly jump in surprise while his breath tickled her neck slightly, sending shivers down her spine. Squall took the card from her fingers and muttered "Let me try."

Her heart raced and she tried to keep new tears at bay. The young man slided the keycard slowly through the reader near the door, the lock finally releasing with a _click_, while a green light indicated the door was finally open.

"Thanks" she muttered quickly and entered the dorm, not once turning to look at him, so he wouldn´t notice her red, swollen eyes.

He nodded, puzzled by her behaviour. He had noticed she had a tendency to look everyone straight to the eyes yet right now, she avoided his face like a Ruby Dragon's nest.

Rosie placed her things on the bed and looked around her new room, noticing it was a lot more spacious than the one she had before. The raven-haired walked towards the huge window, her hands opening the thin curtain so the morning light could enter and warm up the dorm. Sensing Squall's presence, she turned her head a little, not enough to look at him but enough to regard the brunet.

"Is there something else?" she asked. Her voice had a sharp edge he had never heard her use before.

"Your keycard."

"What?" Rosie turned around suddenly, confused by his response.

Squall was then able to take a good look at her face. Her eyes were sad, deep dark circles surrounded them and she looked as though she hadn´t slept at all.

"Your keycard..." he repeated, his voice totally surprising her. It hadn´t softened, but something about the sound had definitely caught the raven-haired's attention.

It hadn´t sounded as cold as always.

Squall took a few steps inside the room, his hand extended to hand her the blue keycard he still held.

Rosie approached him slowly and retrieved her card from his fingers. The only thing she regreted was the fact he was wearing his trademark black gloves, otherwise she could have felt the skin of his hand, the heat from his body.

"Thanks again, Squall." muttered the young woman, her gaze settling on the floor at her feet.

He nodded and slowly turned to leave.

But she didn´t stop him.

ooo ooo

"NORG says this agreement is unacceptable." said one of the Faculty members.

Cid sighed.

He retrieved his bottle of aspirins and chewed a couple of them, wishing his headache would go away as well as the Garden Master´s pesky minions. "Why?" he muttered.

"Because of the money the client paid for the SeeD team." said another Faculty "That gil quantity is simply laughable."

"Well, then what does NORG suggest to do? Because I assume he _has _thought of something, right?" asked Cid annoyed.

"In fact he has, Headmaster." said the first man, his tone confident and slightly sarcastic, especially in the _Headmaster_ part, making the older man frown. "The SeeD team will be reduced from five members to only three, no replacements would be available and we will send only unexperienced SeeDs. That way the cost of the mission will be accordingly to what the client paid us."

"Only three unexperienced SeeDs? That's madness! They could end up fighting the whole Galbadian army and NORG knows it!" Cid yelled, his fist slamming the mahogany desk.

"I´m sorry, but that´s the Garden Master's desire and the client should have considered _that_ beforehand. SeeD is not a charity institution." replied the other Faculty coldly as both administrative staff got up.

"Here´s the list of the selected SeeDs." said the first one, handing the older man a manila folder sporting Garden´s emblem.

Cid opened the folder, his eyes widening at the sight of the names written there. "We´re still not through with this." said the Headmaster as he stood too. "These are just recently appointed SeeDs. Their Inauguration Ball was yesterday, for Hyne´s sake!" he angrily said. The old man´s demeanor changed, resolution plastered on his face. He took the single sheet resting inside the folder and growled "Besides, he´s sending Squall Leonhart accompanied only by Selphie Tilmitt and Rossane Bennett! They need more brawls in that team if they plan to survive."

The two faculty members stood silent, the Headmaster's attitude had totally surprised them. Cid tore the sheet to pieces and said "Tell that greedy bastard that I´ll send the team he assembled, but I´ll include another member."

"I´m afraid that´s impos..."

"Not if its still under his terms." interrupted Cid. "The new member will be another unexperienced SeeD, Zell Dincht. There will still not be any chances to replace any members and to make it up for the new addition, I´ll put money straight from my pocket. What do you think?"

"But, sir..."

"NORG wouldn´t mind where the money comes from, it´s money after all. That´s all he cares about." said Cid, a cynical smirk on his lips.

One of the Faculty shook his head, confused at the old man´s actions. "Why are you doing this?"

Cid snorted "Why?" He frowned, his voice hardening all of a sudden "Because I _care _about those boys... I´m not like NORG. While he cares about how much gil enters Garden's accounts, I care about how many SeeDs come back home."

The Headmaster turned around, his back facing the other 2 men. "You´re dismissed. The status on the mission's team and their roles will be handed to NORG in an hour."

Speechless, the Faculty nodded a little and walked out of Cid´s office.

When Rosie emerged from her new room, 30 minutes after the incident with Squall, she was changed in her normal clothes, the only difference was she carried her newly aquired weapon on one side, in fact, inside her right pocket.

_I just hope this thing doesn´t go off before I figure how to use it properly!_ She thought as she walked cautiously through the Garden's structure. On her other pocket, the raven-haired carried her SeeD credit card, which fortunatelly for her, was already charged with her first payment.

A female voice made her stop dead in her tracks "Hey, Rosie!!"

The raven-haired sighed and turned around to regard the brunette behind her, not really in the mood to have a conversation with her friend, but figuring it couldn´t be helped either. "Hi, Selphie."

Surprisingly for Rosie, the brunette avoided last night´s events and focused on a completely different topic. "Hey, I was looking for you. Thought you might want to get some breakfast with me and then we could go hang out in the Quad. There´s still a lot of work to do on the Garden Festival."

"That would be terrific, Selph. But I have to go to Balamb today." replied Rosie "Besides.." a playful frown and smile showed on her face ".. I´m not in the Garden Festival committee."

"But you can always volunteer, right?" said the brunette with a expression that was the epithome of sweetness and inocence.

Rosie chuckled, silently thanking her friend for lifting her spirits "I guess..." she sighed and said "Look, I promise I´ll help you out as soon as I get back, okay?"

Selphie nodded "Okay. What are you doing in Balamb anyway?"

"Need to go shopping, my luggage hasn´t arrived." lied Rosie. Yes, she was going shopping but for a very different reason. "You want something?"

"No, but thanks anyway." Selphie smiled. "Are you going to walk all the way to the town?"

Rosie shrugged "I guess..."

_I haven´t thought about that..._

"Why don´t you take one of the Garden cars?" suggested the brunette girl shrugging "I heard Cid could borrow you one."

"Hmm... that´s not a bad idea, you know?"

ooo ooo

An hour later, she was arriving at Balamb Town. Rosie sighed and looked out the passenger´s window. _This can´t be worse..._ she thought, sparing a quick glance at the driver out the corner of her eyes.

Squall steered the wheel as he parked the car just outside the Gas Station.

When Rosie had gone to ask Cid about borrowing her a car, the Headmaster was having a conversation with the brunet.

"I´m sorry, sir. I didn´t mean to interrupt..." said the raven-haired blushing as she turned around ready to bolt outside the office.

Cid´s voice, however, made her stop "Don´t worry, dear. C´mon, tell me what you wanted."

Rosie turned her face down, trying to hide her swollen eyes from the older man. Her voice was barely audible as she said "I wanted to know if you... well... if you could lend me a car... I need to go to Balamb today."

"A car? Sure, dear." said the Headmaster opening a drawer from his desk, his hand retrieving one of the Garden vehicles' keys.

The raven-haired approached Cid´s desk, standing just beside Squall, who was sitting on a chair in front of the Headmaster. "Thank you, sir." replied the young woman smiling.

"Don´t worry..." the old man turned to look at her face and was surprised at her eyes´s appereance. "But, Rosie... you can´t drive like that. Your eyes aren´t in optimal condition, are they? And I bet you haven´t slept at all."

She shook her head "Don´t worry, sir. I´m fine... besides I won´t be speeding or anything like that." finished the raven-haired with a small smirk.

"Hmm..." Cid sighed "I´m sorry, but I can´t let you drive like that. I´ll get someone to accompany you." The Headmaster looked at the other SeeD present and said "Squall, could you please be gentle enough to drive Rosie to Balamb?"

At this, the raven-haired protested. "I really don´t think that´s necessary..."

Squall nodded and calmly said "Sure."

Cid smiled "Well, it´s settled then." He handed the young man the keys and directed his next words to Rosie "Hope you have a good ride."

_A good ride... yeah, sure._

Rosie opened the door and stepped out of the car, adjusting the solar glasses Selphie had borrowed her. The raven-haired was again on her debt, as the black lenses helped to hide her huge, darkened eyes. She turned to see Squall and said:

"Thanks for driving me here. I´ll be long, so you better go back to Garden, I bet you have more important things to do."

He shrugged, his response surprising her "Not really." And it was true, as long as he was a SeeD he had more spare time. He didn´t have to attend classes, only to train himself properly.

Nervous, Rosie muttered "Well, I can manage myself..."

"I didn´t say otherwise." replied Squall, his gaze meeting hers for the first time that day.

Her heart was racing. All the raven-haired wanted was for him to come with her, but she knew he shouldn´t know what she was meant to do in town.

"Well, then... whatever." Rosie blurted the last word as she turned around and quickly walked away from the car.

Her driver watched her get away, amusement evident in his eyes, even when his expression remained the same.

ooo ooo

"Wow! I haven´t seen one of these before!" exclaimed the owner of the junk shop. His old but still strong, hands held Rosie's weapon while he inspected the gun with attention.

"It´s a CZ-100, modified version of the Galbadian standard-issued CZ-85. I´ve only heard about it... people in this bussiness call it The Reaper." The man signaled the lower part of the gun´s barrel "See this? It´s a unique laser scope designed especially for this particular gun."

"Yeah." Rosie replied smiling at the old man's child-like excitement.

"It also has its capacity and caliber modified. You see, the original CZ-85 is 10 mm and with only 6 rounds available, but this one... this beauty can handle up to 15 rounds and the caliber is that of a Desert Eagle or a Colt Pithon... .22 LR!! Enough power to rip off a head at close range!" The old man chuckled in sheer happiness, his eyes still not believing he held such an excelent piece of weaponry in his hands "And to increase its perfection, this weapon is almost weightless and definitely more compact than the original."

"It´s a masterpiece, isn´t it?" Rosie said, an awkward smile on her face.

"Yeah, it sure is." replied the old man "Where did you get it young lady?"

"I... well... it´s heritage."

"You´re very fortunate." said the junk shop owner as he handed it back to Rosie. "Take good care of it."

"Thanks... I think..." said the young girl, the last part barely audible. "Anyway, do you think you could show me how to use it?"

"Me? Oh, no! I haven´t fired a weapon since... well.. it´s been very long, young lady... you hadn´t even been born yet." said the old man. "I could just teach you the basics..."

"That would be great! It´s all I need!" said the raven-haired nodding.

"Okay, then..." The junk shop owner opened the door connecting the counter with the main body of the shop. "Come in, please. I have a little shooting round in the room downstairs. It´s nothing big, so..."

"Don´t worry, it sure be fine." said Rosie smiling reasurengly at the old man.

Two hours later, the lesson had concluded.

The raven-haired had learned how to stand properly so the weapon's recoil – although minimum given the gun's size – wouldn't overbalance her. She had fired lots of rounds, to get used to the gun's weight, length, trigger and laser sight. Finally, the old man had taught her how to place the gun´s security lock, how to release it and to load and unload the weapon.

"You did pretty well." said the elder, smiling "It´s hard to believe you had never fired a gun before."

"Well, not a real one. My brother and I used to play House of the Dead's arcade game. So I guess that´s where I learned to aim and fire." replied Rosie shrugging.

"I see..." said the junk shop owner, although he didn´t quite undestand what the raven-haired was refering to.

_These youngsters and their games..._

Rosie looked at the watch attached to a nearby wall. "Oh, God! It´s LATE!! You were a great help, thank you very much." She was about to leave when she suddenly remembered she still had to purchase some items from that shop. "Oh, I almost forgot! Could you give me ammo for this weapon and a holster to carry it?"

"Sure. I have lots of different ammo that could fit that fine weapon of yours." replied the old man smiling as he reached a nearby stand. A couple of minutes later, he had displayed 4 boxes of different ammo. "These ones are normal .22 LC ammo" he said as he pointed at a red box. "These are expansive bullets, armor piercing bullets and..." he said taking a blue box "... these are my favorites. These kind of bullets can pierce even through a Ruby Dragon´s hard skin. Once the cartridge is in the flesh, the head explodes, ripping muscles, veins and everything else in its path... it´s called Demolition ammo."

"I´ll take those." She said, eliciting a smile from the older man. "All the ammo of that type you have in stock."

Ten minutes later, Rosie got out of the store carrying a heavy backpack containing all the ammo she could buy. Her new holster was tied around her hips, Reaper settled inside it. She had paid the old man a thousand gil for his lesson and, although he had refused to take the money, the raven-haired had convinced him it was a bonus she was more than willing to pay.

When she passed near the Gas Station, she was surprised to see the Garden car was still parked there. Rosie approached the vehicle and looked inside, but Squall was nowhere to be found.

She sighed.

_Probably he got tired of waiting and decided to leave me the car so I could drive back..._ With that idea in mind, she searched around for the keys, but to no avail.

"What are you doing there?" Squall´s voice surprised her. Rosie had been kneeling, her head and right arm were under the car. As soon as she heard him, she bolted upwards, hitting her head hard with one of the lateral mirrors.

"Oww!!" she yelped in pain "You have to stop startling me like that! You´re going to cause me a head trauma." she said frowning and holding her injured head with her left hand.

"I just asked a question. You are the one who has to stop getting startled for everything." replied Squall cooly as he helped her get up. "Let me see how much of a head trauma you´ve done to yourself." He said, bowing her head slightly to look at her injure.

"OWWW!!" the raven-haired recoiled from his touch "You said see not poke!"

"I didn´t poke it! I barely touch it." replied Squall frowning.

"Well, don´t touch it!" yelled Rosie angrily.

"Fine, well.. suit yourself then." said the enraged young man, letting go of her head.

"And they say chivalry is dead." replied the girl sarcastically.

Squall folded his arms "Whatever."

"Yeah, well... whatever with you too!" she said and stuck her tongue at him. Rosie turned around quickly, the sudden movement making her dizzy to the point she would have lost her footing hadn´t Squall grabbed her quickly.

"T.. thanks..." muttered the raven-haired, her head still going around in circles.

"Sit." said the brunet, settling her down on the walkway.

"Woof!" she replied playfully, gaining a slight snort from him. He took off her sunglasses, folding them neatly at her side. Rosie opened her eyes, looking at the brunet while a weak smile formed on her lips "I´m sorry..."

Squall shook his head. "Stay still, okay?"

She nodded a little, her teeth clenching as the other SeeD's hand gently placed over her injure. Rosie heard him call forth a curative spell, the tranquil aura immediately enveloping her form, regenerating her cells and closing the gash on her head.

The raven-haired looked up again, her gaze locking with his as she offered her best smile. "Thank you, Squall.. for everything." She said softly, her words full of emotion.

He nodded again and helped her on her feet. Then he looked to the side, noticing the huge backpack beside the Garden car "Is this yours?"

"Yeah."

A copper eyebrow lifted in surprise "... seems you bought the entire store.".

"Not quite." replied Rosie giggling at his reaction. "I left some things if you want them."

"I don´t think so." He replied, gaining more laughter from the young woman.

Rosie finally controlled her amusement and said "I want to show you my gratitude for waiting me so many time. Not to mention you cured what could have been a fatal wound... on the long run, but still a fatal wound."

Squall folded his arms and shook his head "You don´t have to."

"Oh, but I _**want**_ to." replied Rosie "Nothing fancy, I´m afraid... I spent most of my money at the junk store... not to mention all the clothes I ordered and will be delivered at Garden this afternoon..." she shook her head "Anyway, how about an icecream?" her smile never left her lips.

"Icecream?" Squall sneered "I´m not into that kind of stuff..."

"Why? _Everyone_ loves icecream!" when he turned his head to the side, Rosie sighed "Okay, okay... no icecream... Hmm... how about a coffee?"

"How about we just go back to Garden?" replied the brunet frowning.

"Oh! C´mon, Squall! Let´s have some fun!"

"I don´t consider _coffee_ as _fun_." he replied sarcastically.

The raven-haired rolled her eyes "You know what I mean! Besides, coffee can _**be**_ fun." Rosie shrugged and smiled widely "It just depends on the company."

ooo ooo

They arrived at Garden.

Squall didn´t accept the raven-haired's invitation, but strangely she wasn´t depressed as she had been that morning. The fact that Squall had spent time with her, or waiting for her, was something she would treasure forever.

That night, after tiding up her room, trying out her new clothes and helping Selphie with the Garden Festival's preparations, Rosie settled on her bed. She decided to leave the curtains open, so she could watch the sea of stars from her laying position.

Tired as she was, the raven-haired closed her eyes, her body finally relaxing after all the previous events.

ooo ooo

She was walking through the crowd, her eyes never leaving his form. She noticed a girl in a cream-white dress had approached him and started flirting, though he didn´t seem interested.

Her steps grew quicker, walking as fast as her legs could carry her. Rosie arrived to his position, took his hand and quickly drew him away from Rinoa, who just stood speechless at the other girl´s movements.

Smiling, she held his hand, vowing to never let go...

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note:_

_Well, I hope you liked it!! I took most of the info on the guns from a magazine one of my friends had. (I´m no terrorist or anything like that!! Jajaja) I made up some details like the capacity and caliber, in fact Rosie´s gun is a common 9 mm, but I thought it required more firepower._

_Playing the Resident Evil games could only lead you so far..._

_I also made it light enough so Rosie could carry it without problems, not having to be Rambo in order to wield it :D. And I took the name from Doom (the movie), thought Reaper could be a cool name for a gun._

_I hope the scene in Balamb between Squall and Rosie wasn't too corny... I tend to be that way sometimes so... I ask for your forgiveness._

_Remember, all critics are always welcome, so read and review, please!_

_See ya soon!!_


	20. Chapter 20 Anouncements

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII..._

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 20: Anouncements**

By CelestialRage

Hard knocks on her door woke her up.

Rosie frowned at the sudden interruption, taking her pillow and placing it over her head, trying to muffle the insistent knocking. Her dream was so beautiful she would gladly had spent the rest of her life trapped in it...

"Hey, Rosie!! I´ve got tremendous news!!" Selphie´s excited voice came from outside the room.

The raven-haired girl sighed.

_Too much for a quiet morning..._

"Okay, okay Selphie. I´m coming!" She heard the brunette´s insistant knocking again, this time though, it wasn´t at her door.

_What is she pretending? _

_To wake up the entire Garden?_

Rosie opened her dorm´s door, the SeeD clad only in a white T-shirt, pink cotton panties and her white socks. "What is it Selphie?" she asked yawning slightly.

The brunette turned "Oh, Rosie! You won´t believe it!!"

"Well, if you just tell me..." muttered the still half-asleep raven-haired leaning against the doorframe.

"We´ve got our first mission!! Isn´t it GREAT?!" squealed the small SeeD, jumping excitedly.

"Yeah, it is..." said Rosie calmly, then something Selphie said hit her, waking her sleep-muddled mind completely "Wait a minute... did you just said _**WE**_?"

The brunette girl nodded "Yeah. Squall, Zell, you and me. Isn´t that awesome?!"

"I´m in..." muttered Rosie still not believing her friend´s words. "I´m really in..." A wide smile spread across the raven-haired girl´s features as she delightfully squealed "I´M IN!!" She hugged Selphie tightly, both girls jumping happily.

Suddenly, the door in front of her dorm opened, Squall emerging from his quarters. Selphie stopped jumping, looked at the young man and said "Squall! It´s our first mission!! Can you believe it?!"

Rosie stood frozen. Squall was only clad in his blue boxers, leaving his well-muscled torso exposed. Her face turned a deep shade of red as her eyes wandered through his chest and abdomen. Embarrased at her weakness, Rosie´s gaze drifted to the floor beneath her feet.

She yelled.

"Oh, my God!!" the raven-haired girl had suddenly realized she wasn´t exactly dressed either. She tried to cover herself, her gaze returning to Squall´s face, who was looking at her. Rosie turned around quickly and entered her dorm, slamming the door after her.

Selphie´s laughter could be clearly heard from across the closed door. "I don´t see the fun in this!" yelled the raven-haired quite embarrased and a little angry.

"Oh, your look was just priceless!" managed to squeal Selphie between her laughter.

"Why me? Why me?" Rosie muttered, covering her flushed face in embarassment.

ooo ooo

Ten minutes later, the three SeeDs were properly clothed, armed and ready to start whatever mission they had been appointed to. Squall was clad in his normal black attire, Revolver sheathed at his side and a small black duffle bag resting on his right shoulder. Selphie´s clothes were as shinny as the sun, her yellow short dress portraited perfectly her happy-go-lucky personality. She weared mid-calf brown boots and had her over-sized nunkachus strapped across her back. The tiny SeeD also carried a small orange backpack, something Rosie hadn´t seen them do in the game.

The raven.-haired girl was wearing blue-jean shorts, white socks and deep blue tennis shoes, along with a bright green t-shirt. If it hadn´t been for the gun she carried in the holster around her hips or the ammunition inside her pockets and small pouch tied to her holster, she could have passed for an ordinary teenager.

The same went for her friends.

Rosie´s head turned slightly to her right, her gaze wandering between Squall and Selphie.

_They´re only teenagers... just as me. _

_But they don´t know any other kind of life beside fighting and training... I wonder if..._

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a Garden Faculty member. "One more minute... If he doesn´t arrive, we´ll start the briefing without him."

"Him?" asked Selphie

"Zell." replied Cid. The Headmaster was standing beside the tiny SeeD, his gaze focused on the main entrance to Garden´s central building. He turned his head and watched the teenagers. "The last member of the team."

The brunette girl was about to say something else, but stopped as an approaching humming sound was heard. Everyone turned and watched as Zell came quickly towards them, the martial artist was riding a sky-blue floating board. Rosie watched in awe as the blond made his way, manuvering the T-board like an expert.

_He´s a Tony Hawk! _thought Rosie smiling as Zell finally arrived at their position, the martial artist tapped the board with his foot, turning the floating device off. He jumped off the board and lifted it with his foot.

"Made it!" said Zell grinning as he stood in front of the Headmaster, holding his board like a surfer. The blond was wearing a pair of baggy, blue long shorts, black shirt and red short jacket, along with dark red, air-pumped sneakers.

The Faculty member at his left shook his head "T-Boards are prohibited within Garden. Have you forgotten?"

"Oops, sorry!" apologized Zell, while scratching the back of his head. His smile returned as he tapped the board "But this is really cool. It may come in handy on a SeeD mission someday."

"We´ll be the judges of that." replied the Faculty. "Confiscate it." he made a gesture and without warning a second administrative member approached and took the board from Zell´s hands, returning with it inside Garden.

The martial artist was about to protest but the Faculty turned towards him and said "You´re a member of SeeD, nevertheless you´re still a student at this Garden." He shook his head and made a gesture towards the other teenagers "Furthermore, because you´re SeeDs, you must set an example to the other students and abide by the Garden rules. Understood?"

Zell nodded slightly as the Faculty moved behind Cid, so the Headmaster could explain the mission. The older man sighed and said "Well, about your first mission... you´re to go to Timber." His gaze wandered between the 4 teenagers "You´ll be supporting a resistance faction. That´s basically what your mission is about. Obey their orders, offer advice and help them in any ways possible." Cid nodded and continued "A member of the faction will contact you at the train station."

"This person will approach and say "The forests of Timber sure have changed.". At this, you must reply "But the owls are still around". That´s the password, don´t forget it." said the Faculty behind Cid.

The Headmaster nodded and reiterated "From there, just follow the faction´s orders."

Zell turned around and said "Uh... just us 4? I thought SeeD missions usually had 10 or more members on their teams."

The Faculty nodded. "Correct." He shook his head and continued "We´ve agreed to do this mission for very little money." His head turned in the Headmaster's direction "Normally, we would never accept such requests, but..."

Cid´s voice interrupted him "Enough talk about that." His voice contained a sharp tone that surprised the young SeeDs. The Headmaster shook his head and turned his attention towards the teenagers. Smiling, his gaze focused on the tallest brunet "Well then, Squall you´re the squad leader. Use your best judgement based on the situation."

The young SeeD nodded, Cid returning the gesture. The Headmaster then turned to the other 3 SeeDs and said "Rosie, Selphie and Zell are to support Squall and give your all to carry out the faction's plans." The three teenagers nodded.

Cid smiled again "Well, you're scheduled to arrive at Timber tomorrow morning, at 0800, so you should take that in consideration. Dismissed." The 4 SeeDs saluted the Headmaster and turned to leave, when suddenly Cid´s voice was heard again, stopping them dead on their tracks. "Oh, Squall! I almost forgot to give you this."

The teenagers turned around, Squall taking a few steps towards his superior. Cid reached inside his vest's left pocket and produced a small item enveloped inside a white cloth. "As long as you were the ranking cadet on the Field Test, you´ve earned this prize. It´s a cursed item, a Magical Lamp. It contains a powerful GF that is rather... grouchy, to say the least."

"It´ll get along with Squall quite well then." muttered Zell, gaining giggles from Selphie and Rosie, while the brunet turned his head enough to send a vicious scowl at the martial artist.

"Ejem... " Cid continued, gaining the teenagers´s attention. "Anyway, if you can defeat this Guardian, it would prove to be quite an ally." The Headmaster´s voice became more serious "Just, don´t take it lightly, okay? Diablos is powerful."

Squall nodded "Thank you, sir." He said as he took the item from Cid´s hands. "I'll use it wisely."

ooo ooo

Seifer cracked open one eye. He mumbled something unintelligible and turned around, covering his head with the thin white blanket. Another hard knock was heard, pissing off the cadet.

"Okay, okay, dammit!" he grumbled as he got up. "I´m coming already!" The blond opened the door, rolled his eyes and growled "What is it, _instructor_?"

Quistis frowned.

Seifer put especial emphasis on the last word, clearly trying to offend the blonde woman. She smirked, her eyes wandering all the lenght of the young cadet´s face. The taller man was pale and had big, black circles around his blood-shot eyes. "Had a rough night, uh?"

"In fact, I had only fallen asleep 20 minutes ago." replied Seifer yawning widely.

"Well, sorry for interrupting your 'beauty sleep', Hyne knows you need it..." said Quistis sarcastically. She sighed and continued "But, I´ve come here to escort you to your temporary quarters... in the detention area, of course." She smiled as she said the last part.

"Seems you´re enjoying this, instructor." replied Seifer while he stretched his larger body and scratched the back of his head, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. The blond had been in detention several times, but it was only because of lesser incidents, mostly because of his tendency of fighting with Squall. Now, though, he knew his time in the detention block would be quite different.

"More than you can imagine." replied Quistis smirking. As she drew a little closer to Seifer, her nose detected a very familiar scent. Her frown deepened "You´ve been drinking." The blonde woman shook her head "Seifer, you know alcoholic drinks are not allowed within Garden –"

"Yeah, yeah..." Seifer shook his hand to dismiss her lecture. "You can add that to my discipline history, okay? Add more time in detention or whatever you like... just speak a little lower, would you? Your damn voice is as loud as a Forbidden´s battle shriek!"

The blonde chuckled "You should learn to hold your party liquor Seifer."

"And you should learn to command a team properly in order to keep your job." replied the young man. Quistis´s laughter died instantly. Seifer looked at her and smirked "But I guess that´s something that any of us would learn, uh?."

ooo ooo

"C'mon, Squall! I´m sure we can beat it if we work together!" said Selphie, the tiny SeeD jumping at the idea of taking on a powerful GF like Diablos.

"Yeah! C'mon, man!" Zell added.

Squall's frown deepened, he remained silent for a couple of minutes, considering the possibilities. Rosie's voice caught his attention briefly.

"It could come in handy in our upcoming mission." She shrugged when he stared at her. "It's up to you, though. After all, the lamp is yours."

After another couple of silent minutes, Squall nodded slightly. "Okay."

"WOO-HOO!" Selphie yelled happily as she jumped repeatedly in place.

Squall's sharp tone cut off her celebration. "Be prepared. I´m not taking any chances, okay?" The other 3 SeeDs nodded and adjusted their weapons, items and junctions. When everyone was finally ready, the brunet took out the lamp.

"Wow! It's beautiful!" said Rosie in awe as her eyes focused on the lamp. It was flame-shaped, black as ebony with silver characters of a foreign language non of the SeeDs recognized carved along the dark, shiny surface. "I thought it would be more Aladdin-like." She muttered, raising an eyebrow.

"Aladdin? What the hell is that?" asked Zell.

Rosie´s eyes widened "Uh? Ah... Nevermind." she shook her head to dismiss her earlier comment and changed the subject quickly "So, um... how do you use it?"

Squall shook his head "No clue." He turned the lamp, trying to find something that could tell him how to summon the GF.

"Maybe if you rub it?" suggested Rosie, gaining incredulous looks from the other SeeDs. "What?" she asked indignantly "It´s how you´re supposed to use this kind of stuff... at least in fairytales."

"Fairytales?" Zell asked as he crossed his arms, a smirk on his face "Don´t tell me you believe in that kind of stuff."

"I don´t. But if you have a better idea..." replied the raven-haired girl.

"Enough." growled Squall.

He sighed. _I can´t believe I´m stuck with them on my first mission... This is going to be tougher than I thought._

"I´ll give it a try." the brunet SeeD rubbed the lamp slightly.

Nothing happened.

Zell released a breath, he wasn´t even conscious he was holding. The blond smirked "See? I told you that was bull-"

A sudden roar interrupted his words. "**WHO DARES DISTURB MY SLEEP?"**

Before any of the SeeDs could react, they were surrounded by shadows coming from Squall´s hands. The lamp had desintegrated, forming some kind of extradimensional space, where Diablos was already waiting the teenagers.

The huge Guardian floated in mid-air, its powerful bat-like wings beating in unison. Its head was pitch black, which made its red eyes shine with unearthly light. Its crimson body was complemented by a large powerful sharp tail and its hands and feet ended in thick claws that were ready to pierce through the hardest of armors.

Diablos was darkness incarnate and shadows were his realm.

"Okay, maybe I was wrong..." muttered Zell

The GF shrieked and charged, its powerful arms ready to strike Squall. The SeeD rolled to his side, avoiding the deadly blow, while he released a Fire spell, hitting the demonic entity´s right leg.

The other 3 SeeDs were already on the move, Selphie cast a Blizzard, which Diablos easily avoided. Zell bolted towards the Guardian, the SeeD focusing his energy on his firsts as he struck Diablos's back. Using Zell's move as a distraction, Rosie drew Diablos's magical stores. She knew there were only 2 kinds of magic that would deal great damage to the GF, and since Holy was now unavailable, she would have to use the Dark Lord´s own shadow magic: Demi.

Squall parried a blow from the Guardian´s sharp tail. He spun around and slashed Diablos´s right wing. Enraged, the demon-like creature shrieked and focused its energy, the shadows around its crimson form enveloping their master.

_Gravija!! _

Rosie panicked as she recognized the Dark Guardian´s attack. The SeeD quickly cast a Demi she'd recently stored. Diablos´s form shrunk as the spell struck, the powerful gravitional force crushing the GF, damaging, but not incapacitating it. The demonic entity shrieked in rage and pain, releasing the attack it had been summoning.

Shadows surrounded the SeeDs and they could feel their bodies contract, the air was squeezed from their lungs and their vision became blurred. The pain was sharp and Rosie thought she could hear her bones crushing. If they hadn't junctioned their magic, the teens would certainly be dead by now.

The SeeDs collapsed. Squall quickly cast a Cure spell on himself, Rosie and Zell following his example. Selphie´s form was enveloped by a bright yellow and pink light, the tiny SeeD had finished her summoning.

Diablos´s dark realm was suddenly illuminated by a soft, golden light as rivers of amber water washed the shadows surrounding the demonic Guardian. A beautiful voiceless song was heard, the music was gentle, charming and terribly alluring. The notes leaving the harp a female entity held, her delicate fingers caressing the musical instrument while large golden wings spread, revealing her beautiful face. Siren focused on the Dark Lord, her green eyes squinting as she focused her power. The song increased its tempo and volume, silencing every other sound in the extradimension. Her power enveloped Diablos, the dark GF´s voice and mind muffled by Siren´s enchantment.

Her job done, the beautiful entity gracefully turned into golden foam before the bubbles vanished completely, finally returning to her master´s mind.

"Well done, Selphie!" said Rosie as she cast a Cure spell on her injured friend. The brunette smiled weakly as the healing magic worked its way through her body.

Squall and Zell were on the move again. The gunblade wielder slashed the GF´s back, while the martial artist pummeled Diablos´s front. The Guardian sent punches, kicks and parried some of its enemy´s attacks.

The sharp tail caught Zell´s back, injuring the SeeD badly. Selphie cast a Cure spell on the blond man quickly, while Rosie drew Reaper, the gun´s destructive shells flying towards the dark creature.

Squall cast a Protect spell on himself as he ducked under Diablos's feral punches. The GF´s left wing was suddenly crushed by a Demmolition ammo, the damage preventing the demonic entity from flying anymore. Selphie drew and cast a Demi spell, further damaging the Guardian, while Zell applied his most destructive attack.

"EAT THIS!!" yelled the martial artist.

The blond gathered all his strenght and punched the floor beneath his feet. His energy coursed from his body to the ground, where a tremendous earthquake shook the extradimensional walls, The martial artist´s energy travelled towards Diablos, finally stricking the GF, enveloping it in flames.

When the Shadow Guardian had recovered from Zell´s blow, Revolver pierced its chest, Squall squeezed the gunblade's trigger, the massive calliber of its bullets causing crippling damage to the Dark Lord, further enhaced by a Demi the SeeD had previously drawn and now released against the GF.

Finally, Diablos fell.

Its breathing was heavy and thick, dark blood leaked from its deep injuries. The dark Guardian bowed towards its enemies before its form dissolved into crimson shadows, which floated towards Squall, enveloping the SeeD´s form while Diablos junctioned with his mind.

As suddenly as it had appeared, the darkness surrounding the SeeDs dissolved, the extradimensional chamber releasing the teenagers now that its master had been defeated.

Zell stretched his muscles, the pain caused by Diablos´s massive attack still stinging slightly. "Ouch!" he complained "That Guardian should learn to control its temper!"

Selphie giggled, while Rosie smiled and said "Amen."

ooo ooo

"The train will be departing soon. Please hurry if you´re getting on." said a man dressed in the station staff´s blue uniform.

Rosie smiled as her gaze wandered around the beautiful building she and her friends were in. The raven-haired had never been inside a train station before, so this was a new and exciting experience for her. She looked at the small windows located on the upper part of the building, just below the arched roof. The evening sun illuminated the chamber with its soft, golden-orange light, filling the room with hope and the perspective of a new adventure.

Or at least, that was the way she saw it...

Selphie´s cheerful voice was heard to her right. "Woo-hoo! Timber, here we go!!" The brunette girl ran towards the train, but remembering her squad leader held the tickets, she stopped, turned around and waved for him "C´mon, Squall, hurry!"

The brunet approached the man in charge of the passengers' boarding, showed him the tickets he had just purchased along with his SeeD ID card. The train staff checked everything was in order and nodded.

"Have a safe trip." He said, allowing the SeeDs inside the train.

"WOW! This train is AWESOME!" said Selphie excitedly as she entered the passenger car's lobby and gazed through one of the many windows.

"A transcontinental railroad, baby!" said Zell, walking behind the brunette girl. "It even runs through an underwater tunnel to get to Timber." He turned and looked at Squall, who was just behind him "Pretty cool, uh?" he said smiling.

"Sure is..." replied the squad leader, though his voice indicated he couldn´t care less.

Zell´s gaze fell to the floor, he sighed and said "Guess you´re not interested." The martial artist looked at the security scanner located near the door to the private compartments "By the way, Squall. You have to use the ticket to open the door."

"You must travel a lot, Zell." said Rosie as she watched their leader move towards the security scanner.

"Uh? Why do you say so?" asked the martial artist.

"Well, you know a lot about Balamb's trains and their security system, so I assume you had used it at least once." replied the raven-haired shrugging.

"Then you´d be surprised to know this is my first time on this trains." said Zell smirking. He shrugged and said "I just like to know facts and Garden's library is full of them."

Rosie smirked and eyed Zell suspiciously "Are you sure you just go to the library because of the books?"

Zell blushed slightly and replied "Eh?.. Yeah... Why else would I go there for?"

The raven-haired girl laughed and said "Nevermind."

A loud beep was heard, followed by an electronic voice "ID checking... Access granted."

The door opened and even before Squall was able to retrieve the ticket, Selphie burst past him and cheerly said "I´m going to check out the front!"

"Ladies go first." said Zell as he allowed Rosie to pass.

"Thanks." replied the raven-haired girl, walking down the hallway, followed by the martial artist and Squall.

Selphie was leaning on the window´s pane, her gaze fixed on the people inside the train station. Rosie approached her friend and followed her example, looking at the last passengers as they boarded the transcontinental vehicle. Zell's voice behind her made her attention drift, her gaze focused on the male SeeDs behind her.

"Yo, check it out! This is SeeD's private cabin." The martial artist said as he opened the richly decorated door. Garden's emblem was craved just above the door frame, lined by golden curls to accentuate its beauty. "WHOA!" exclaimed Zell, glancing at the cabin's interior. The blond SeeD entered the private compartment, his excited voice showing he found the cabin quite comfortable. "OHHH, YEAHHH!! AWESOME!!"

Squall followed him inside and wasn't surprised to find the martial artist bouncing up and down on the wide cozy-looking couch that occuped most of the cabin's space. The SeeD private car was more than elegant, it was luxurious. Expensive-looking wood paneled every inch of the compartment, gold ornaments complementing the walls. Behind the couch Zell was occuping, two wide windows were covered by green, silk curtains. Next to them was a digital panel, connecting the cabin with the Dinning Car or any other part of the train, so that the SeeDs could have anything they wanted without even having to step out of the compartment. On the right part of the cabin were 2 very comfortable-looking bunker beds, while on the left part was a sliding door connecting to a full-equiped bathroom.

_Garden spares no expense... not even on traveling accomodations._ thought Squall, though he particulary didn't care whether he was traveling within SeeD's private car or inside the civilian area.

The floor began to shake, as the train's whistle announced the departing. Selphie giggled excitedly, as though she had been expecting this moment her whole life. Rosie eyed her friend, a smile on her lips as she playfully asked "Are you okay? Hope you didn´t forget to take your medication."

Selphie´s sarcastical reply immediately followed "Oh, jajaja." She smiled widely as her gaze focused again on the passing fields "I just love trains."

_Uh-oh.. here comes the train song..._ Rosie thought, and before the brunette started to sing, she decided to take action "Well, enjoy the view. See you inside, Selph."

"'Kay!" chirped the tiny SeeD without looking at her friend. Just as Rosie entered the cabin, Selphie's voice sweetly started to sing "_Train, train, take us away..."_

ooo ooo

Seifer was bored out of his mind. The blond was plopped on a mattress, the only furniture inside his cell, aside from the toilet. The detention area, mostly known around the students as "The hole", was located in Garden's main basement, just above what was denominated the C area.

"The hole" was nothing more than a block of 12 cells, plus a control center, where a couple of lower rank SeeDs guarded the entrance. Ten cells were the common area, where most of the students who had been involved in lesser incidents were recluded, mostly for a few hours. These cells were small and steel barred, which allowed the students to have a view, even if it was to the hall, but at least it was something. The other 2 cells were the high-security area, designed to contain mayor threats. They were rarely used, mostly to contain criminals SeeD had captured before escorting them to appropiate detention centers either in Galbadia or Dollet.

This time, though the high-security area contained a SeeD cadet, Seifer Almasy.

He had been a stone away from expulsion, but fortunately for him, Cid had changed his mind at the last minute. The blond stared at the ceiling, the number of tiles on the roof already known by the cadet as it had been the first form of entertainment he had the first 2 hours of his confinement.

Light footsteps were heard outside his cell as a shadow covered what little light entered through a single barred panel located at eye-height on the door. A female voice he recognized all to well, greeted the new comer.

"RAGE."

Seifer smirked. Fujin always knew how to greet unpleasant guests. The albino woman had been in the detention area for 4 hours now. She was sitting on a chair near Seifer´s cell, and although they didn´t talk a lot, she knew the blond appreciated her being there for him. Even if he rather die than tell her so.

"I´m glad to see you too, Fujin." replied a soft female voice that made Seifer frown.

"What do you want now, instructor?" asked the blond man, not even bothering in getting up so he could see Quistis's face.

"I´ve come to deliver some news." she calmly said as she approached the opened panel, her gaze fixed on the large form laying on the bed. After a couple of silent minutes, the blonde said "Cid wants you to know that the Timber request was attended. A SeeD team was dispatched this morning."

Quistis was surprised when Seifer got up, the taller man´s face was a mixture of joy and surprise. "Really? So her request was finally heard?"

_Her? _Quistis nodded.

Seifer smiled, not his trademark smirk or anything the blonde had seen him do before, but a beautiful, happy smile that took the her entirely by surprise. He looked at the ex-instructor and asked "How many SeeDs were deployed?"

"Just 4: Squall Leonhart, Zell Dincht, Rossane Bennett and Selphie Tilmitt..."

At this, Seifer´s face paled.

"WHAT?!" he yelled, his features becoming a rage mascarade "What the _fuck_ were they thinking?! They may end up fighting the entire Galbadian army and they send just 4 rookie SeeDs?!" Seifer stood up "HYNE DAMMIT!!"

"Seifer..." Quistis´s voice was cut off when the blond suddenly grabbed the steel bars, trying to shake open the heavy cell´s door and, if he had his GFs junctioned, Quistis was more than sure he would have accomplished it.

"Let me out of here!! I´m going to Timber!!" he yelled in rage.

Fujin bolted from her chair, her commanding voice calling him out "SEIFER!" She pushed Quistis out of the way and approached the cell's door, her right hand covering the young man's. Jade orbs glared angrily at her, but Fujin stood firmly in front of him, her only crimson eye watching him intently.

Quistis was surprised when the furious look in Seifer's eyes changed, his expression and body relaxing. Fujin still watched him and the blonde SeeD was able to see her lips moving, though no sound came from them.

"Thanks for the news, instructor." muttered Seifer as he turned around, his back facing Quistis and Fujin. "I´d like to be alone now."

The blonde shrugged and turned to leave. Fujin looked at Seifer again, a very little smile flashed on her lips as she heard his voice whispering

"Don't be long, Fu."

ooo ooo

"So, you guys know anything about Timber?" asked Zell as he looked at his comrades.

Squall lifted his gaze from the magazine he had been looking at, he wasn´t interested on dog breeding but there was nothing else to do. He had already checked his equipment twice.

Rosie was laying on the lower mattress, her head turned to see her friends, though most of her attention centered on the brunet. "It´s been under Galbadian occupation for 18 years, I think." she said.

Zell grinned "That´s right! It was a very rich country, thanks to the vast supply of wood they had. But then Galbadia invaded and Timber fell quite easily, not being a match for the G's military power. It´s said there´s a whole bunch of factions in the town, big and small, but they don´t do a lot of damage... they are mostly a nuisance to Galbadia. Anyway, the G´s aren´t taking any chances and have a big garrison stated there, just in case."

"... And?" asked Squall raising a copper eyebrow when Zell said nothing else.

"Nope, that´s it." replied the martial artist.

"... Thanks, Mr-Know-It-All-Zell." muttered the brunet sarcastically as he resumed his looking on the magazine.

"Hey, no prob!" replied the blond SeeD smiling, obviously oblivious to Squall´s sarcasm.

Rosie chuckled at the exchange, her laughter was cut off when the door to their cabin opened all of a sudden and Selphie walked in looking drowsy.

"I´m not... feeling... well." the brunette said, her voice sounding tired.

Squall didn´t look up from his lecture and replied "You should get some rest if you´re tired."

"Selphie!" Rosie´s shout alerted the brunet. His face bolted upwards and he watched as the raven-haired girl held the tiny SeeD. His frown deepened, Selphie´s tiredness was unusual. _She was running and shouting mere minutes ago..._ he thought.

"I´m really sleepy..." muttered Selphie as she fell on the couch, Rosie still holding her frame.

Squall stood up quickly "You ok?" he asked, but the brunette had already fallen asleep. _This is weird. We should get out of here._ Just before he was able to order his comrades to get out of the cabin, Zell´s voice was heard.

"What the...?" Squall turned quickly to see the martial artist. Zell´s eyes were dropping and he struggled to keep them opened "Something´s wrong with me..." he muttered, his body relaxing as his eyes finally closed "...I... feel...sleepy..." the last part was barely audible as his head fell, the blond SeeD completely asleep.

"What´s going on?" the brunet muttered, looking at his comrades' sleeping forms. He reached Rosie's hand and said "We gotta get out of here!" the SeeD turned around and felt suddenly dizzy "Ugh!" his free hand immediately raised to his forehead to try and settle himself as the young man was having difficulties in standing still.

"Squall!" exclaimed Rosie, holding him fast.

"...What´s this?!" he muttered frowning when a loud buzzing filled his mind. His gaze turned to the girl next to him, his eyes barely open as he whispered "Rosie...run..."

Her voice calling him was the last thing Squall heard before darkness surrounded him.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note:_

_Hi again! Hope you liked this chapter. I´m sorry for the late update, but I´m on my final semester and have lots of work to do. Anyway, I promise I´ll keep updating as soon as I have the chance to._

_Please read and review!! And as always, all comments are welcome._

_Bye!!_


	21. Chapter 21 Laguna

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII..._

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 21: Laguna**

By CelestialRage

Squall´s eyes opened.

Instead of the wooden walls of the luxurious SeeD cabin, he was surrounded by trees.

_Where am I?_

He could smell the forest´s fragance all around him, hear the birds' chirping and even gunfire far away from his position. His head turned to his sides, though not on his will, it was as if someone else was controlling his body. Squall could feel his body aching due to physical exersion, though he didn´t recall what he had been doing in order to feel that way.

His right hand came to his face in order to shake a fly away, the brunet immediately noticing his black leather gloves had been replaced by ones made out of cloth. Something around his arm caught his attention: it was a galbadian arm armor.

"Uh... Laguna?" a soft male voice said behing him.

Squall spun around, his gaze fixed on a dark-skinned man wearing a galbadian armor. His long hair was arranged in slim tresses, visible because he had no helmet on. The strange-looking man was wielding a pair katals, short but very sharp blades with a handle at the end. The SeeD was surprised, normally g-soldiers only wielded short swords of rifles.

The man´s voice was heard again "Are you sure this is the right way?"

Squall shrugged involuntary and he felt a grin forming on his lips.

_...What the..?!_

"Oh, boy, not again!" a deep loud voice said, this time on Squall´s right. His head turned, his eyes meeting those of a bulky tall man. The SeeD was surprised to see there was a g-armor that fitted his massive size. The heavy-set soldier was scarred across his face's left side, the mark running from his temple all the way down to his chin. He wore a blue rag tied around his head, while his hands held what appeared to be a huge heavy-looking black harpoon. "We´re lost, righ?" asked the bulky man.

"'Course not!" replied Squall, his lips moving on their own will. He was surprised by the sound of his voice, it was completely different. Not even his accent was the same. "C´mon!" he said as his legs started their way across the deep forest that surrounded him.

_Is this a dream?_

Squall´s steps carried him all the way towards a small river. He turned around and watched the men accompaning him, his alien voice was heard again "Let´s get some rest." The men nodded as they approached the river, the clear water easing their thirst. The brunet bent down, his hands extending to take some of the liquid in them. Finally, the SeeD could see his reflection on the water.

He was not Squall.

He was older, mid-twenties more or less. His long, shoulder-lenght hair was black, kind of reminding him of Rosie's, though the texture was much like his own. His eyes were green, his nose a little thinner. His eyebrows and mouth were like his own, except this "Laguna" guy had a tendency to smile a lot, habit Squall lacked. As his companions, he was clad in a galbadian uniform, a heavy machinegun hung from his right shoulder while the belt around his waist held many hand grenades.

A sudden rustling of nearby bushes, made him spun around, his hands bolting towards the weapon, holding it ready for attack. Squall stood up, noticing he was taller too.

A brown-greyish tail was seen quickly vanishing between the nearby foliage. The dark-skinned man relaxed his ready position.

"Just a Geezard." he muttered.

"Hate those little buggers." said the bulky man. "Besides, we got more important things to do, like fighting the Timber army."

"Yeah, if we can find it." replied the dark-skinned smirking, he looked at Squall and added "So, mighty white hunter, which way do we take?"

Squall´s head turned to the sides, his arm raising to indicate a path between a thick portion of trees. "That way." He said.

The dark-skinned man snorted "You didn´t even look at the map!"

The bunet's alien voice was heard again "Kiros, I´m going with my gut, man!" Without even letting any of the men reply, Squall started running down the path "C´mon!"

"Hey! Laguna, wait!" said Kiros before he and the other man started their way after him.

ooo ooo

Rosie´s eyes wandered across Squall´s face.

The weight of the male SeeD when he collapsed had almost knocked her down. The raven-haired girl had tried to support him, but wasn´t strong enough to carry his entire weight, although she had managed to slow his fall, thus preventing him from hitting the floor hard. Now, she was sitting on the floor, her legs crossed as she rested Squall´s head on them. Her left hand stroke his soft copper bangs as her right one traced every feature of his face.

A complete hour had passed since her friends went unconscious, and she wasn´t sure how many more time they were going to remain like that. She took Squall´s right hand and looked at his watch. It was only 8:00 pm, which meant they were still 12 hours away from Timber more or less.

Rosie sighed as she carefully placed down his arm, her fingers caressing his hand slightly, half hoping he would wake up, half hoping he wouldn´t. Her eyes fixed on the emblem resting on his chest. Her right hand made its way from his hand to his chest, grabbing the silver lion shape, her fingers tracing every curve as she smiled.

It was a forbidden priviledge to be this near to him, to hold him like she was doing. Not to mention the way she had touched his face or was stroking his hair. She knew the brunet would go ballistic if he happened to wake up to find himself like this...

But she couldn´t help it.

Rosie´s eyes shifted from Griever to Squall´s face. Her smile widdened as he took a deep breath. _He looks so cute when he´s sleeping! His frown is gone and he seems so peaceful... _Her fingers caressed his cheek very softly, as though she was touching a butterfly´s wings. His skin was barely coarse, Rosie guessed he had shaved that morning. Her thumb traveled to the corner of his lips and brought it up slighlty, forming a little smile on his face.

Rosie giggled.

_He´d look even more handsome if he smiled more often._

Her mind suddenly played the last scene of the game, when Squall smiled to Rinoa. The raven-haired girl´s smile vanished. Remembering the events of the Inauguration Ball, her heart ached and tears formed at the corner of her eyes.

_We´re almost in Timber... you´ll see Rinoa again. _

She closed her eyes, a single tear escaping her right one and rolling all the way down her cheek. Rosie opened her eyes and focused them on Squall´s face.

_If it´s destiny... then.. _She gazed at his lips, the raven-haired girl moved slowly, closing the gap between them as she closed her eyes again.

_I want to know how this feels... even if it´s just once..._

Her lips were mere inches away from his. Rosie could feel his soft breath against her skin.

She stopped.

_... If I do this... it means I´ve already given up on him... _

Her lips were barely separated from his.

_But, what if I don´t have the chance to do this again? _

_What if I lose him to Rinoa? _

_He danced with her in the Ball, after all... If he doesn´t like me, then it´s useless... all my efforts would be futile, just like Quistis´s..._

She sighed...

_But if I get him to like me, wouldn´t it be wonderful if he was the one that kissed me instead of stealing this kiss from him? _

_Squall deserves better._

_I want him to choose... but in the process I could lose him... _

_Should I give up now and enjoy this little moment? Or should I keep going and risk to lose it all?_

... and moved away.

Dark eyes opened and focused on his slumbering face as tears rolled slowly down her cheeks.

_Even if you choose her... I won´t regret the time I´ve been given with you. _

_Ever._

"But I won´t give up on you, not without a fight..." Her soft voice was barely above a whisper. "I promise."

ooo ooo

Laguna squeezed the trigger, sending another burst against the upcoming monsters. Kiros spun around, his katals slicing a Geezard´s head off.

"Ward, on your left!" yelled the dark-skinned man as he made a somersault to avoid a fire spell.

The bulky soldier turned, bringing his weapon up, the sharp end of the harpoon piercing the Geezards abdomen as he halted the monster's jump towards his throat.

Laguna released a hand grenade, the explosive artifact rolling between the horde of monsters. "Take cover!" he yelled to his comrades as he aimed the device. He pulled the trigger lightly, controlling the weapon´s blast. Three bullets left the cannon, hitting the grenade, followed by a massive explosion.

"Yeah!" yelled Laguna as a dozen Geezards blew to smitherens.

Kiros sliced open another Geezard´s chest as Ward finished off the last monster of the pack. The dark-skinned put away his weapons and dusted his uniform free from Geezard's intestines.

"Damn, that´s going to leave a stain." he muttered sneering.

Laguna reloaded his machinegun and said "Finally had some fun, uh?"

"Barely." replied Ward smirking "Those Geezards are hardly a challenge."

"Indeed." said Kiros "They just served as a warming up."

"You´re right." said Laguna. "We didn´t even break a sweat."

"Well, how are you supposed to break a sweat if you just squeeze a trigger?" replied Kiros sarcastically "I don´t see how much exercise you can do."

"Hey!" exclaimed Laguna indignated, gaining a chuckle from his buddies at his reaction.

"We better get going, can´t wait to fight the real thing." said Ward as he carried his massive harpoon on his right shoulder.

ooo ooo

Three hours later, the Galbadian soldiers had killed most of the Geezard population inside that Timber forest. The echoes from the battle had died down an hour ago.

"Hey, aren´t we here to fight a war?" asked Ward as he shook his weapon clean of Geezard´s innards. He turned to look at his buddies "You know, against the almighty Timber army?"

"Yeah." replied Laguna.

"Then why are we wasting our time messin´ with these animals?" asked Kiros.

"Well... " said Laguna scratching the back of his head. "You see... it´s just that... uhh..."

Kiros´s voice cut him off "Don´t tell me we´re lost again."

Laguna´s only reply was a shy smile.

Kiros and Ward shook their heads in unison "I can´t believe it!" said the dark-skinned man.

"When were you going to tell us?" asked the bulky soldier.

"Uh.. soon, I guess." Laguna shook his head and said "Anyway, the battle is already over, and we´re should go home." He grinned and excitedly said "Deling city, here we go!"

"Wait a second, Laguna!" said Kiros crossing his arms "Were you avoiding the battlefield on purpose?"

When he remained silent, Ward shook his head and asked "Why?"

Laguna sighed and looked at his buddies. "Look, I know it´s our duty to fight for Galbadia. But I don´t feel like fighting against inocent people just because Vincer Deling wants to get his hands on Timber. Nor do I want to see my friends die for such a silly cause."

"We can´t choose which battles to fight, my friend." replied Kiros.

"Yes we can." said Laguna, his voice determined and full of emotion. "We´re free men, not mattering what Deling says or does... There´s always a choice."

After a couple of silent minutes, Ward sighed and said "So, what now?"

Laguna shook his head "If you want to denounce me, it´s cool. The least I want is for you to get into trouble just because of me."

"And risk having you loose without our supervision?" replied Kiros smirking "No way."

"Yeah, you could cause another Centra cataclysm." said Ward chuckling "We can´t risk that."

Laguna smiled. "What would I do without the two of you?"

"Nothing. Without our backup, you would be dead by now." said Kiros, gaining a laugh from his comrades.

ooo ooo

Squall´s conscience struggled to get free from Laguna´s physical form. But despite his fierce fighting, the SeeD was still stuck inside the alien body. Exhausted, he sighed. He had no choice but to sit down and witness the events unfolding all around him.

_What is going on? Am I dreaming?_

It didn´t feel like any dream he had ever had. It was far too vivid to be just a product of his mind, he could feel the sweat running down his forehead, the ache of his tired limbs and the heat of the forest surrounding him. Besides, judging for the things the soldiers had said, Squall was seeing the past. The war between Timber and Galbadia had taken place 18 years ago... even before he had even been born.

_How could this be? _

_And who the hell is this guy? Why am I occuping his body?_

ooo ooo

Deling City.

The town that never sleeps.

Laguna remembered the turist ads to say something like that about his hometown. He smiled, they couldn´t be more accurate. Even late at night, the city was crowded. The night life was the best in the whole Galbadia continent and many of the wealthiest families lived there, causing the establishments to offer the best quality services available.

The soldier steered the wheel, driving the Galbadian vehicle through the city´s main avenue. He stopped in front of the train station, deciding to arrive to the establishment he had been thinking about by foot. Laguna switched the engine off and stepped outside the vehicle.

"H-Hey! You can´t park in the middle of the street!" protested Ward

Laguna smiled unworriedly and said "Chill man, it´s cool." Much for his friend´s astonishment, the black haired soldier called a trooper guarding the entrance of the station. "Hey, Billy! Could you park this for us?"

"Yes, sir!" the trooper saluted "I´ll take care of it."

"Thanks." replied Laguna as he returned the salute. He turned to see his buddies and asked "So, how´s about a drink?!"

"Like you drink..." said Kiros smirking "We know you´re not in it for the drinking. Why don´t you admit it already?"

"Yeah." replied Ward chuckling "Just drink some juice like a weenie and then gawk at the piano lady."

Laguna folded his arms and angrily said "Don´t call her the piano lady!" He shook his head and turned around "That´s it! Forget it, I´m not going." He said indignately.

His buddies chuckled and started walking pass him.

Kiros turned his head just enough to see Laguna and said "So you say, but we know you will..."

ooo ooo

The bar of the Galbadia Hotel was the most elegant in the city, but one couldn´t expect less from the most prestigious – and therefore, expensive – hotel in town. Famous for its richly decorated rooms, excellent service and its bar´s vast alcohol stores, the Galbadia Hotel was the staying place for many of the wealthy men and women that travelled to that city.

Laguna, Kiros and Ward entered the bar, the stairs leading to the main area were upholstered by a red plush carpet. There were several booths and tables lit by a little chandelier on the center of each table, making the atmosphere even more intimate. On the far corner of the room, stood a high golden stage, the center piece was a beautiful, black piano. Laguna looked at the musical instrument, a dreamy smile crossing his face for an instant.

"Welcome, gentlemen." A pretty waitress greeted them. She smiled and said "Your usual table is ready."

Laguna nodded and was about to answer when he heard a buzz inside his head. It was as though a voice had whispered something he couldn´t quite made out. "What?" he asked.

"What´s wrong?" asked Kiros.

The black-haired man shook his head to clear his thoughts, the buzz was still there but not as loud as it had been mere seconds before. "I... I don´t know..." he replied frowning and placing his right hand on his forehead.

"Wait a second..." Ward looked at his friend and worriedly asked "Is your head buzzing?"

"Yeah, how did you know?" asked Laguna.

"Because I´ve been having the same feeling." replied Ward

"What... you too?" asked Laguna, his eyes widening at Ward´s comment.

The bulky man nodded "Yeah, ever since we were in Timber."

"Me too..." said Kiros frowning. "I´m worried, it seems more than just a coincidence, don´t you think?"

"Hey, we´re just tired, that´s all." said Ward trying to calm down his comrade. The heavy-set man surrounded Kiros and Laguna´s shoulders with his massive arms and smiling, said "We´ll be fine after a drink, or two or three..."

ooo ooo

Squall was surprised his anxious thoughts had some effect on Laguna, apparently the black-haired soldier had heard his voice inside his mind. But how convenient was for the SeeD to let his presence be known?

He decided not to risk any dangerous situation, after all, he had no clue of what was going on and no physical form with which to defend himself. Not to mention, the body he was currently occupying didn´t respond to any of his commands.

His disadvantage and clear helplessness only served to further frustrate the SeeD, who had never encountered himself in a situation in which he was utterly lost. Normally, Squall always worked a way out of his troubles, but this time...

He was clueless.

ooo ooo

A waitress approached the booth Laguna and his comrades were in. Smiling she asked "What are you going to have tonight, gentlemen?"

Laguna smiled back at her "The usual, Sherry. Thanks."

"Me too." said Kiros.

"And keep them coming, honey..." added Ward as he leaned against the back of the booth.

Sherry smiled at them and nodded "Krakka beer coming right away." She turned and walked towards the bar, on the other side of the room.

Kiros turned to see Laguna, whose stare was fixed on the stairs leading to the hotel´s lobby. He smiled knowingly and sent a blow to Ward´s ribs in order to get his attention. He motioned towards their unsuspecting comrade, the bulky man chuckling slightly at Laguna´s reverie.

Sherry returned quickly with their order, Ward and Kiros losing no time to start tasting the bitter drinks. Laguna, on the other hand, contented himself with sipping little by little the glass´s contents, his eyes never leaving the stairway.

A couple of beers later, Ward noticed his black-haired comrade had just drank half of his first glass and his eyes were still waiting for _her_ to walk down the stairs. The bulky man smirked, deciding to encourage Laguna and end his comrade´s suffering once and for all.

"So, Laguna..." he said as he shifted his glass´s contents "Julia should be making her appereance soon." Ward smiled, squinting his eyes at his comrade and asked "You goin´ for it tonight?"

Laguna turned, his face turning red as he looked at his buddies. "W... What?"

"Yeah, go for it." said Kiros before drinking the rest of his glass. He turned to face Laguna and shrugged "You´ve been dribbling about her for months now. Be a man and make your move already!"

"C´mon, Laguna..." said Ward. His eyes suddenly focusing on the top of the stairs. "Here´s your chance..."

Laguna turned, his face blushing further when his eyes settled on the lady entering the bar. Her slim siluette was enveloped in a large crimson dress, that slid behind her as she made her way gracefully towards the piano. Cheers and claps sounded all through the bar as the beautiful and elegant dark-haired woman settled down at the musical instrument. Her delicate features seemed even more beautiful when she smiled warmily at the audience, catching Laguna´s heart.

Julia´s fingers moved, the piano producing a clear and soft sound as the lady played a lovely tune. Laguna was lost within the beauty of both, the melody and its interpreter, until Kiros´s voice cut off his reverie.

"So, you´re going to invite her or not?"

Slightly annoyed by the interruption, Laguna said "What-ever, man." He shook his head nervously at the perspective of even talking to her "Can´t you see she´s working?"

"Come on, go wave to her at least." replied Kiros.

"Give me a break..." exclaimed Laguna.

"So you say..." said Ward as he emptied his glass "...but we all know you´ll do it."

"Okay, okay..." Laguna took another sip of his beer, hoping the alcohol would help him get through this. He stood up and started his way towards the piano.

_Okay, I can´t back up now. If I do it, the guys will call me wuss forever..._

ooo ooo

As Laguna walked determined across the room, Kiros turned to see Ward. His eyes were wide as he said "Never thought he´d actually do it."

"Tell me about it." replied the bulky soldier. He smirked and said "Ten gil, he gets a cramp on his leg."

Kiros smiled as he turned to watch their friend "You´re on."

ooo ooo

_To be this close to Julia..._

Laguna´s heart raced and he was positive his face was as red as a Catoblepas´s skin. Despite his best efforts to try and control his nerves, the beauty of the pianist, along with his own overreacting nature did little to aid his current condition. His eyes focused on her face, Julia´s attention was on the keys she pressed in order to create the melody.

She sure is pretty...

ooo ooo

If there was a way to mentally roll one´s eyes, Squall did it at that moment. He couldn´t believe Laguna was acting like that just for a girl... woman or whatever.

_Is this guy serious?_

He shook his head.

_To lose all your composture just because of a female´s presence? I can´t believe that!_

Squall bowed he would never act like that.

Not ever.

ooo ooo

Laguna was close to the stage, his eyes never leaving her form. Suddenly, he felt a very familiar sensation running through his right leg.

He panicked.

_Uh-oh! My leg´s cramping up!! _ The galbadian soldier held his leg fast as the annoying and slightly painful feeling spread through his limb. _Argh! Why now?!_

ooo ooo

Squall just had one word to describe what he was witnessing.

Sad.

ooo ooo

Laughter coming from the audience could be heard, catching Julia´s attention. She looked up and watched as a tall soldier she had seen in several ocassions in the bar was walking... well, more likely limping, towards her.

He smiled a little and shyly said "Hi."

Julia couldn´t help but smile back.

ooo ooo

_She smiled at me!!_

Laguna was more than happy and could have jumped excitedly had it not been for the cramp quickly spreading through his leg towards his butt. Deciding to take his leave before he fell flat on his face and embarrased himself even further, the galbadian soldier smiled again at the beautiful lady in front of him and turned around.

ooo ooo

"Okay, pay me." said Ward as he watched Laguna limping towards their table as fast as he could.

"Here ya go." replied Kiros, handing his buddy the promised cash. Once their black-haired comrade was near, the dark-skinned soldier smiled and said "Good work, Laguna."

"Mission successful." added Ward chuckling. Laguna said nothing and took a seat near Kiros. The bulky man drank half of his beer and said "I didn´t think you´d actually do it. Our popularity rating´s gone up one point."

"Yeah, but you cut a pretty pitiful figure up there." replied Kiros, his laughter barely allowing him to speak. "I´d say you´re about a –3 on the manliness scale."

"Say what you want." said Laguna annoyed not only at his friend´s comments, but at his own foolishness. He sighed and took another sip of his beer "Julia sure is pretty..."

"Ahhh..." Kiros´s voice made his head shot up. He looked at his comrades, whose demeanor had suddenly changed and seemed to be searching for something to say.

"What?" asked Laguna, confused by their behavour.

"Laguna, we´re off." said Kiros as he and Ward stood up and turned to leave.

"Hey! What´s the rush?!" asked the black-haired man as he stood up ready to follow his buddies. Ward turned towards him and smiled.

"It´s on us tonight. So relax and stay a while, Laguna." With that, the bulky man walked away, leaving his comrade alone and more confused than he had ever been in his life.

"What the hell is with them?" Laguna muttered as he scratched the back of his head.

A soft voice was heard just behind him "May I?"

The soldier turned around quickly and was completely in shock when he came face to face with his goddess. Julia was right in front of him, smiling. His mouth said the first thing that came to his mind "Aaaaa..."

Her smile grew even wider.

Laguna gulped and tried to settle himself. His voice betraying his nervousness as he shyly said "P..please.. sit down..." he limped to the right side of the booth, leaving her enough space to take a seat. Julia didn´t take the offering, her gaze fixed for a second on the other two men, who were now sitting at the bar.

"Did I interrupt anything?" she asked worriedly.

"N-N-No! Not at all!!" Laguna stammered. He took a deep breath to try and lower his tone and said "P-please, s-sit down." Julia smiled and obliged, her gaze now fixed on the man at her right, oblivion to his internal panic.

_Oh man! Oh, man! It´s HER!! _

_What do I do? _

_Kiros? _

_Ward? _

_Help! _

_What do I say? I don´t want to look even dumber than I already have... _He watched her out of the corner of his eyes. _But man, she´s so pretty..._

ooo ooo

Squall sneered, his eyes widdening a little.

_What is this guy thinking...?_

ooo ooo

"You okay now?" she asked, her soft voice sending chills down Laguna´s spine.

"Kind of..." as always he replied the first thing that came to his mind.

"How´s your leg?" asked Julia, her eyes locking with his, causing Laguna to loose all trace of his surroundings. He had barely heard her question, just remembered the last word, which he repeated.

"L-Leg?" Suddenly remembering his limb´s condition, he smiled a little and said "Oh, this?! Yeah, it´s fine. Happens all the time when I get nervous..." _Shit! I shouldn´t have said that last part!_ Laguna faked a cough, trying to get her attention off his last comment.

"Were you nervous?" Julia asked, a playful smile on her red lips.

"Oh, yeah." Laguna admitted "I´m still kinda."

She bowed her face. "You don´t have to be nervous around me."

"Oh, sorry." replied Laguna a little anxious at her sudden change of demeanor. The last thing he wanted was to hurt or annoy her in any way.

"Say.." her voice made him relax a little. She moved slightly closer to him, her tone becoming lower, almost a whisper "Would you like to talk somewhere private? I have a room here..."

"I-In your room?!" Laguna said more louder than he had intended to, but the idea of being alone in Julia´s room made him even more nervous than he had been before.

She blushed a little and said "Well..." her gaze turned to her left side, watching at the room they were in "It´s kind of hard to speak freely here... Everyone´s listening in." Laguna hadn´t noticed they were the center of attention, he turned and see as everyone in the bar were either looking at them, or leaning closer in order to catch their conversation. Julia´s gaze returned to the man in front of her "If you´d like to, please come by." Her head bowed a little again "I´ve been wanting to talk to you." Her eyes suddenly locked with his as she nervously asked her next question "You don´t want to?"

"Of course I do!" exclaimed Laguna excitedly.

"Then I´ll go ahead and wait for you." smiling, she stood up, Laguna following her example. She nodded and said "Ask for my room at the front desk, okay?"

All Laguna could do was nod dumbfolded and keep looking at her as she turned around and left, flashing him a smile as she walked past him.

_Am I dreaming?_

ooo ooo

Squall´s frustration was on the top of his limits.

This is a dream... this is a dream... he repeated like a mantra, thinking maybe that way he would wake up from this vivid nightmare.

ooo ooo

No, this can´t be a dream! Prayed silently Laguna as he slowly started his way towards the stairway.

ooo ooo

Squall shook his head.

It´s too weird to be a dream...

ooo ooo

Laguna still was in shock. He couldn´t believe his luck!

Julia... She wants to talk... to me?

ooo ooo

Squall sighed, exasperated at Laguna´s internal conversation.

He speaks to himself too much.

ooo ooo

His lips formed a wide, dreamy smile as he replayed the last moments in his mind.

And just the two of us!

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

Get it together, Laguna!

ooo ooo

Squall shrugged.

... Whatever.

ooo ooo

I always screw up by talking about myself too much. It´s always been like that... But not tonight! I´m all ears for Julia. He was determined to do whatever it took to help his goddess with her troubles. As Laguna took the first step on what he considered the stairway to heaven, Kiros´s voice was heard.

"Don´t just yap-yap-yap, okay? You gotta listen to her too."

Laguna nodded "Don´t worry, man."

Kiros turned to see Ward "50 gil he won´t let her even say hi."

The heavy-set man smiled widely "You´re on."

ooo ooo

Laguna looked out of the window. Julia´s room was located on the sixth floor and had a very beautiful view from Deling City´s Main Gate.

He was still embarassed. Despite his best efforts, his old habits refused to die and he had ended yapping again. Not only that, he had even fallen asleep due to a glass of wine he had drank very quickly trying to calm the thist provoqued by his never-ending chatter. Julia was very polite, she had never interrupted him, even when he started talking about the missions he had gone off to, or how he´d like to leave the army and start a new life as a world-traveling journalist.

He looked downwards and settled his gaze on her, she was sitting on a chair next to him. "I´m sorry, I have a tendency of talking too much." He apologized.

Julia looked up and smiled, much to his surprise, the galbadian soldier expected her to be quite mad at his babbling. "It´s okay, I like the way you talk about your dreams, how you speak your mind without reservation. You´re a honest person and that´s something you don´t encounter every day in Deling."

Laguna smiled, blushing a little at her compliment. His voice softly said "Tell me about yourself. Like... your dreams for the future."

She sighed. "I... I want to sing." She shook her head "Not just play the piano, but sing too..." Julia looked at him a little embarrased "Sorry, I think that´s not what you meant..."

"No, no." He shook his head and smiling, he added "I think it´s a wonderful dream and I´d love to hear you sing."

Julia smiled sadly "But I can´t...I´m not good at writing lyrics..."

Laguna frowned, his gaze settling on the roof. He had never thought about the difficulty around writing a good lyric "Hm... it must be tough." He muttered. Her voice made him move his face down in order to face her.

"But thanks to you, I think I´d come up with something."

"Thanks to me...?" asked Laguna dumbfolded.

Julia nodded "Yes..." she came closer to him, her soft voice enveloping his senses "The many faces you´ve shown me.. Times when you were hurt, worried... or felt pain deep inside you..." She stopped mere inches away from him, her deep brown eyes gazing directly inside his green ones. "Your smile, your face, your eyes... You´ve shown me something... I think I can come up with a song."

"I must be dreaming..." was all he could answer.

She took his left hand on hers, pinching it softly, making him flinch at the sudden slight pain. "It´s not a dream, is it?" she asked playfully, gaining a chuckle from the tall man in front of her.

Laguna drew a little closer to her, his eyes never leaving Julia´s. He was about to close the gap that separated him from the girl of his dreams, when a sudden knock broke up the moment.

"Hey, Laguna!" Kiros voice was heard "We got new orders. Meet at the presidential residence on the double!"

Julia clenched his hand tighter as her eyes focused on his again "Can we meet again?"

Laguna smiled warmily. "Of course. I still have to come to hear you sing."

ooo ooo

Just as Laguna finished to say this words, Squall´s vision blurred. The SeeD blinked, trying to focus the female face in front of him, but his vision just got worse. Darkness began to engulf him again as he tried desperately to fight the shadows away.

A minute later, he knew nothing else.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note:_

_Hi again! I hope you liked this chapter._

_I know... why couldn´t Rosie just kiss him and keep going as if nothing had happened? Well, I wanted her to stand strong and reject doing what she wanted the most. I think if you really love someone, you have to put his/her interest before yours, and Rosie did just that, giving Squall the chance to choose instead of just stealing a kiss from him, not mattering how tempting the mere idea is._

_Besides, being unconscious Squall couldn´t have returned the gesture! Jajaja ;D _

_Love ya and see ya soon!!_


	22. Chapter 22 Odds

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 22: Odds**

By CelestialRage

Squall shifted, he could feel something shaky and fluffy against his cheek. The SeeD opened his eyes, slightly nervous at whatever he might find now.

He was laying on his side inside the SeeD private cabin, a small, white pillow was supporting his head. The train´s floor rocked slightly from side to side as it made its way towards Timber.

Squall bolted to his feet and looked down at his clothes, finding nothing unusual about them, even Revolver was sheated at his side. He frowned and walked to the bathroom. The brunet opened the door and switched the lights on, then turned to face the mirror above the marble sink.

His own reflection greeted him back from whatever his previous experience was.

The SeeD sighed and relaxed his body a little. Suddenly remembering his comrades, Squall quickly got out of the bathroom. Selphie and Zell still laid on the couch, both were sound asleep. He looked around, but Rosie was nowhere to be found.

_Did she go to get help?_

He glanced at his watch. It was 6:00 a.m., which meant he had been unconscious for almost 11 hours. It was more than enough time to get some assistance so...

_Maybe something happened to her._

Squall walked towards the door, deciding to inspect the nearby cabins in case someone had seen the raven-haired girl. He was midway when his foot suddenly kicked something. The SeeD looked down, the pillow he had been resting on rolled a little to the side before coming to a halt.

Who had placed it beneath his head?

Squall bent down to retrieve the pillow, when his gaze detected a faint movement coming from the lower bunker bed in front of him. He took the pillow and as swiflty as posible, approached the source of the movement.

The thin, silky blanket was covering completely whatever was lying on the bed. Squall took the upper end and slowly pulled the cover...

The SeeD released a breath when he saw what – or rather, who – was laying beneath the white veil. Rosie was curled up in a little ball, completely asleep. Her high ponytail was barely on its place, her head resting on the matress. Apparently, she had used her pillow to make his stay on the train´s floor more comfortable.

A warm sensation spread through his chest, a feeling he had experienced on the last part of the dream. Squall shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and dismissed the sensation as some kind of "afterimage" from being so many time inside Laguna´s body.

A sudden yawn made his gaze drift from the girl resting on the bed to the couch at his left. Zell was stretching, his arms high in the air as the martial artist shook the drowsiness away.

"Squall!" said the blond SeeD, his loud voice echoing through the cabin.

Out the corner of his eyes, Squall detected Rosie´s movement. He turned and watched as she rubbed her eyes, Zell´s voice had obviously wakened her.

The first thing she saw when her eyes finally focused, was a dark figure – more especifically, a person clad in a black attire – standing beside the bed. Rosie glanced up, her brown eyes locking with Squall´s for a second. She smiled warmly, her voice a little softer than usual thanks to her still half-muddled state.

"Hi."

He just nodded and took a couple of steps back, leaving her enough space to get up from the mattress. She yawned slightly, her right hand moving to cover her mouth.

Zell´s voice was heard again. "Man, my neck is KILLING me!!" The blond SeeD was already standing up, his head rolling several times until the bones of his neck cracked loudly. "Uhhh... that´s much better..." he said as he moved his head from side to side. Zell had fallen asleep in a very uncomfortable position, the SeeD remained seated on the couch while his head fell backwards, thus neither Squall nor Rosie were suprised he had such a neckache.

Selphie was the last to stir. The tiny SeeD shifted slightly, rubbing her eyes as she yawned soundly. She sat up, her whole body resting on the couch, and scratched the top of her head as she looked around.

"Hey, guys!" she chirped smiling "Did I miss something?"

Squall shook his head. "Is everyone ok?" he asked. He felt nothing odd about him, but he couldn´t know about his comrades. Much to his relief, Zell and Selphie nodded.

"Everything´s cool with me." said the brunette girl smiling as she moved her legs off the couch. She sighed dreamily and added "Hee! I had such a nice dream!"

_I had a dream too. It wasn´t nice though..._ thought Squall, the memory of Laguna´s behaviour coming to his mind suddenly. _I dreamt I was a moron..._

"Anyway, what do you think happened?" asked Selphie looking at the other teenagers.

"Maybe someone released sleeping gas?" suggested Zell, he shrugged and added "There´s lots of people who resent SeeD."

"... I don´t think so." replied the taller brunet.

His comment immediately gained the looks of the other SeeDs. The blond spoke first. "Uh? What do you mean?"

"Rosie..." Squall said as he turned to face the raven-haired girl.

She realized it was the second time he had ever called her name. The first had been eleven hours ago, just before he passed out. She smiled inwardly. Never had her name sounded so beautiful...

"Yes?"

"You didn´t pass out as we did, right?"

The raven-haired shook her head. Zell´s eyes widdened "So... whatever affected us didn´t have any effect on her?"

Squall nodded. "Guess we can discard the 'sleeping gas' theory."

"Then what was it?" asked Selphie worriedly.

"A new kind of weapon?" asked Zell

"I don´t think so." replied Rosie, the other teenagers´s gazes turned to her. She bit her lip before telling them the little lie she had been preparing in order to explain what she had done during the time they were unconscious. "After you passed out, I checked the hallway, but the rest of the private cabins in this car are deserted. So there was no way anyone could have attacked us from another compartment. I returned here and locked the door, thought we would be safer if we remained inside, and as long as whatever affected you seemed to be harmless for me, I stayed and searched the the cabin for anything that might look suspicious." She shook her head and gazed each of the teenagers as she added "But there´s nothing wrong in here."

The 4 SeeDs remained silent for a couple of minutes.

ooo ooo

Fujin frowned a little as the SeeD guard used a Scan spell on her.

In order to get to the high security area, the visits had to be scanned, both mentally and physically, that way the possibility of non unauthorized objects or energies (such as GF´s and magic) reduced to a minimum.

But there was always a possibility... or at least that was what Fujin was counting on.

The guard cleared her entrance, the albino walked slowly towards Seifer´s cell. She grabbed the chair she´d been sitting on half an hour earlier and brought it closer to the door.

"BACK." said Fujin as she took a seat.

"Glad to hear your voice, Fu." replied Seifer "I was starting to count the damn ceiling´s tiles again."

The white-haired girl smirked "AGAIN?" she asked, her voice slightly amused.

"Yeah, it´s the third time already."

Fujin let out a brief but loud chuckle while she bent forward on her chair.

This caught the guard´s attention. He was surprised to hear her laughing, usually the albino girl didn´t do as much as smiling, let alone laughing out loud. He figured Seifer must had said something really funny to get this reaction from the normally cold Fujin. Shrugging, the SeeD guard continued his lecture of theWeapons Monthly magazine.

Fujin stood from her chair and turned to look at the blond through the peek hole of his cell. She shook her head and said "INCORREGIBLE.".

He smirked as his hand moved to the interior of his white trenchcoat. "You know me..." he paused briefly and then said "Thanks, Fu."

She nodded and turned to leave.

A minute later, Seifer brought up the small item his friend had slipped down the cell´s door during her fake laughing episode: a small silver pendant with 2 multicolored gems attached to it.

It was a gift the blond had made her on her fourteen birthday, just after the incident that rendered her left eye useless. Seifer had a couple of wizard stones attached to the silver pendant, so she could wear it and have little – but powerful - magic stores available in case of an emergency.

Who would have thought he would be the one to use it first?

The blond cadet smirked and focused his energy on the first stone.

The door to his cell exploded.

ooo ooo

Rosie took another sip of her coffee. The raven-haired girl stood on the hallway, her dark gaze wandering through the green fields as the train made the last leg of its journey to Timber.

Her mind returned to the previous night.

She had remained seated with Squall´s head resting on her lap for almost 4 hours, her legs were so numb she could barely feel them. The raven-haired girl decided it was best for her to move before her limbs took permanent damage. She walked around the private cabin for around fifteen minutes, her legs were weak so the little excercise was slightly painful and quite difficult to accomplish. Once she had regain her normal movility, Rosie walked towards the bed, took her pillow and carefully slid it beneath Squall´s head, hoping the SeeD found support in the fluffy object. She yawned tirely and looked at the brunet's watch, finding it was 10:30 p.m. already.

Looking around, Rosie decided it was better to get some sleep. She would need all her energy the next morning, their mission in Timber was far from being easy. The raven-haired girl looked down at Squall´s sleeping form and smiling, caressed his cheek lightly.

"Good night." she whispered as she looked at his face.

For a second, she was tempted to give him a small peck on the cheek. Blushing, Rosie shook her head trying to get those thoughts out of her mind. She got up and walked towards the mattress. Leaving Reaper beneath the bunker bed, the raven-haired girl got inside the covers, her tired eyes laying on Squall once more.

He was the last thing she saw before sleep claimed her.

ooo ooo

Seifer ran through the main hallway, Hyperion drawn and ready, the gunblade´s tip wet with blood.

Fortunatelly for him, the guard was taken completely by surprise, thus making his escape a little easier. He had retrieved his GFs, magic and weapon from a case inside the guard´s office, so he had no need to go to his dorm anymore. And with Fujin´s pendant, the blond had more powerful magic he could use in case the situation got really nasty.

The only thing he regreted was the fact he couldn´t say goodbye to his buddies. He wasn´t much of a sentimental person, but given the circumstances, Seifer really doubted he would be able to see Fujin and Raijin again...

_So be it._

ooo ooo

Quistis was in the Training Center when an unfamiliar sound suddenly spread through Garden. She sent a Fire spell to the grat in front of her, finishing the battle she had been engaged in. The blonde SeeD's eyes widened as she recognized the sound.

It was Garden´s alarm.

Quistis bolted towards the Training Center's entrance, her whip ready at her side. _The alarm means there is an intruder inside Garden or..._ she halted as realization sunk in.

_... there´s an escapee from the detention center..._

"Seifer.." his name barely left her lips. The blonde SeeD readied her junctions, knowing better than to take any chances with the arrogant cadet. He was a formidable adversary, one that would´t hesitate to kill in order to get to his goal.

_Goal? _

The ex-instructor frowned.

She knew exactly where he was heading.

ooo ooo

The door behind her opened, the raven-haired girl barely noticing, until a figure stood at her right side. She turned and smiled at Zell, who still held a glass of orange juice in his hand.

The SeeDs, by Selphie's initiative, had ordered a light breakfast... well, except for the martial artist who ate 10 normal-sized hotdogs. Although Selphie's pancakes with vainilla icecream on top couldn't be considered as "light" either. Rosie had eaten the same as Selphie – minus the icecream – while Squall had a couple of scrambled eggs.

"We´re almost there." said Zell staring at a distant forest.

_You tell me..._ thought the raven-haired, her mind flashing various images from the Ball, Rinoa, Squall, herself and the battles to come...

Zell turned to look at her, noticing her distant demeanor. The martial artist frowned slightly. "Hey, you ok?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

Rosie turned to see him "Uh? I... yeah..." she shook her head, dismissing her mixed thoughts and said "I´m just a little worried, that´s all."

"About the mission?" asked the young blond.

"Yeah... you could say that..." replied the raven-haired girl as she took another sip of her coffee.

"Hey, don´t worry!" said Zell smiling. "Besides, it´s a small resistance faction. How many trouble can we have?"

ooo ooo

Hyperion slashed across a male SeeD's back, injuring him badly, but not killing him. Seifer spun quickly, dodging a Fire spell. The blond cadet counterattacked with a Thunder, the magical energy coursing through the female SeeD's body, rendering her unconscious.

The only thing that had saved not only this 2 SeeDs' lives, but all those Seifer had encountered before, was the fact that they were his comrades. The blond wasn´t one to leave his enemies standing, he knew better than to risk a counterattack. Instead, his technique was simple and very effective.

If something crossed his path, he eliminated it.

But these were SeeDs, fellow students who had the rotten luck to try and halt Seifer's advance, and although he wasn´t about to surrender, he couldn´t bring himself to injure his comrades... at least not permanently.

Seifer resumed his way towards the parking lot. With a little luck he would be able to steal some keys and use a vehicle to get to Balamb faster.

ooo ooo

"Am I missing something?" wondered Selphie aloud as she checked her item's bag.

The cabin's door opened, Rosie walked in, followed by Zell. The raven-haired made her way towards the bed she had slept in and bending over, retrieved her weapon from underneath the mattress. She adjusted the holster around her hips and checked Reaper's barrel.

"Rosie, have you seen my eyedrops?" asked Selphie, digging at the bottom of her bag.

The raven-haired girl turned as she placed the security lock on the gun and shook her head "Nope. You sure you brought them?"

"Yeah.. I..." Selphie stopped, a thoughtful look on her face. "Wait... I... OH, BUMMER!" The tiny SeeD slapped herself on the forehead. "I totally forgot them on my desk!" She clung her head and muttered "Seems like nothing is coming alright today... The only good thing about this trip was the dream about sir Laguna..."

Suddenly, Squall´s voice was heard "Laguna?!"

Zell´s eyes widened "Hey, there was a Laguna in my dream too! He´s a galbadian soldier."

"Laguna, Kiros and Ward..." muttered the brunet as his frown deepened.

_What the hell...?_

"So we dreamt the same?" asked Selphie, eyebrows raising in surprise. "How can that be?"

"Talking about strange..." added Zell.

Suddenly, three chimes preceded the very awaited announcement.

"_Next stop, Timber. Please be sure to get all your belongings. I repeat, next stop, Timber."_

"Look, there´s no way we can figure this out right now." said Rosie, her tone as calm as possible. "We're already in Timber and worrying about this wouldn´t do too good in our mission."

Squall nodded "We´ll put this incident on hold and focus on our mission. Once we get back to Garden I´ll report to Headmaster Cid."

The other 2 SeeDs nodded and prepared to get off the train.

ooo ooo

"_The train bound to Timber is leaving soon. Please all the passengers get on board." _

Seifer had barely made it.

He took a deep breath, trying to settle himself. The blond showed his ticket to the train station staff, who granted him passing. Seifer entered the train and walked down the private cabin´s hallway. He had intended to use the SeeD´s cabin, but thought it better and aimed for the furthest compartment down the hall.

He was about to unlock the door, when something thick coiled around his wrist, followed by a very familiar voice. "That´s far enough, Seifer."

The blond cadet smirked and turned his head to his left in order to look at the whip wielder. "My dear instrutor, I never thought you would keep me company during the trip."

Quistis´s frown deepened as she increased the pressure on her whip "You´re not going anywhere besides the detention center."

Seifer chuckled slightly "I wouldn´t bet on that."

With amazing speed, the blond cadet took the end of Quistis´s whip and pulled the ex-instrutor towards him. She barely held her ground while casting a Blind spell on Seifer, who avoided it with a sommersault, using the nearby wall as support, and landed just behind the blonde woman. He crossed his right arm over her entire chest, holding her in place.

"Good night, my dear instructor." His voice whispered inside her ear.

Quistis could feel her eyelids droping as Seifer´s Sleep spell worked on her. She tried to squirm, but was too weak. Finally, darkness surrounded her and the blonde woman knew no more.

Seifer opened the door to the cabin. He raised Quistis and carried her limp body towards the couch. The blond man focused his energy and drew all the SeeD's magic and GFs, that way she was completely powerless and even more vulnerable to the effect of the Sleep spell he had casted on her. Afterwards, he took her weapon and stored it inside the nearby closet along with her magic stores.

Seifer smirked, he wasn´t worried about her awakening. He didn´t expect that to happen soon, at least not before arriving to Timber. And once they were there, the blond wouldn´t have to worry about her or anyone else in Garden at all.

ooo ooo

The train pulled out of the station as the passengers made their way towards the main street of the city. All except for 4 teenagers, who stood just outside the station, looking around in awe.

"This place is incredible!" chirped Selphie.

Zell coughed slightly "Yeah, and pretty polluted too." He sneered "Man, how can people live in a place that stinks so much!"

"It´s called industrialization, Zell." replied Rosie "It´s very common in big metropolis."

_If you can´t stand this, I wouldn´t like to see your reaction at my city... or any city in my dimmension for that matter._

"Well, I rather live in a small town than in the big polluted city, that´s for sure." said Zell as he coughed a little more.

"This used to be a very pretty town." said a male voice to their left. The SeeDs turned and watched as a young boy, about their same age, dressed in a yellow vest and brown pants adjusted his blue cap. He sighed and said "Man, the forests of Timber sure have changed!"

Squall recognized the password and answered "But the owls are still around."

The teenager smiled and nodded "Welcome to Timber, sir. We´ve been expecting you. Please come with me, sir." He started leading the other teens to another train platform, only this one was labeled as 'Galbadia'. Their contact turned around and said "Wait here, sir."

The teenager stood on the railroad tracks as he waved to something down the line. "Ok, keep comin´, keep comin´" Suddenly, his demeanor changed, fear evident in his face "AHHHH! LOOK OUT!!" he yelled.

Squall turned to see the source of his suddenly frightened face and was shocked when a yellow painted train engine rolled quickly down the tracks towards their contact. The SeeD was about to move when suddenly the train´s breaks hit, the heavy machine stopping a few inches away from the terrified teenager.

The door opened and other boy dressed in blue shirt and white pants stepped off. "What the HELL are ya doing?! How many times do I have to tell ya not to stand in front of the train?!" Noticing the 4 strangers standing nearby, the teen asked to his pal "So.. that them?"

The other teen – who had fell on his backside – nodded dumfounded and muttered "Yeah, they are..."

"Well, what are you doing down there?" asked the blue-dressed teen as he looked at his comrade, his hands on his hips. "Don´t be so rude! C´mon, get up!" He then turned at the SeeDs and smiling, said "Please, excuse us. This way ." he signaled to the train´s interior.

The 4 SeeDs entered the vehicle, followed by the other 2 teenagers. Afterwards, they could feel the train getting in motion, although their destination was unknown.

"So, you guys are SeeDs?" asked the blue-dressed teen.

_No, we´re just passengers who happen to like getting involved in other´s affairs for money._ thought Squall as he mentally rolled his eyes.

_This is going to be a large mission..._

The brunet opted for a more diplomatic reply, figuring it wouldn't be good to voice his thoughts, especially since they were not very flattering. The SeeD nodded and said "I´m Squall, the squad leader." Then he gestured to the other 3 members "These are Zell, Selphie and that´s Rosie."

The teen nodded and offered his hand to Squall. "Nice to meet ya, I´m Zone. The leader of the Forest Owls." The brunet just nodded in reply, ignoring the teenager´s extended limb.

Taken a little aback by the SeeD's cold attitude, Zone shrugged and directed his attention to the girls, repeating his previous gesture. Selphie shook his hand while on the far right Zell wiped his glove clean, waiting for his turn to shake hands with Zone.

However, just before the Forest Owls's leader had the chance to shake Rosie's, Squall's voice was heard "Let´s get on with it. What do we do?" his voice was sharp as usual, but caught the faction members' by surprise because they were not used to his tone.

Zone stepped back and said "Just take it easy." His reply only getting a deeper frown from Squall. "Here, let me introduce you to our intelligence especialist." He gestured towards the SeeD´s contact "Watts, though it seems you already know him." The other teenager nodded and Zone said "Well, I guess it´s only our princess then."

_Princess? Okay, this seems to be worst than I thought. _Squall folded his arms.

"It´s the princess's nap time, sir." said Watts.

"Well, then go ahead and wake her up." replied Zone.

Watts shook his head "No way, I did it last time. The bruises haven´t faded yet."

"Ahh, man!" sighed the Forest Owls´s leader. Then he turned to the SeeDs, an idea circling his mind "Squall, could you go get the princess? She´s in the last door on the hallway, up those stairs."

This was the last thing the brunet had expected them to do. _I can´t believe it! I´m not a babysitter, I´m a SeeD goddamit! _His frown deepened further "Were we hired to run errands?" his tone was even colder than before, making Zone retreat a couple of paces. "Well?"

"A-Are you angry?" asked the teenager obviously frightened.

"We´re not gophers. We´re SeeD special forces, you hear?" said Squall "This is the last time for something like this. Next time you better hire a babysitter instead of a SeeD squad." His cold and overly stern tone left no room for arguments, all the while making the Owls cringe a little at his harshness. The SeeD was about to leave when a female voice stopped him.

"I´ll go."

Squall turned around and watched as Rosie came near him. "Don´t bother yourself with this kind of stuff. Besides, I guess it doesn´t matter who they send, right?" she said smiling.

Squall nodded.

_Guess you´re right. Besides, I´m really not in the mood to go wake up their so-called "princess"_

_... talk about corniness..._

"You sure you wanna go alone, lady?" asked Watts "The princess is dangerous when bothered."

Rosie smirked and unsheathed Reaper. "Well, then that makes two of us."

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note: _

_Okay, this chapter was so LATE! I´m really sorry for making you wait, but I just finished my trimester and had to present a lot of final works... but I´m finally FREE!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! (runs around like a maniac) _

_Ejem... anyway, I´m expecting to update quite sooner now. _

_Thanks to all the reviewers, especially the annonimous ones because I have no other means to express my gratitude for your comments. Hope you all like this chapter, and I´ll see you on next one._

_Oh! On a side note, if you haven´t seen Revir´s work on Photobucket... what are you waiting for? :D It´s pretty good and she has updated a lot of drawings, so you should check them out!_

_Love ya all!_


	23. Chapter 23 Mission: Impossible?

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 23: Mission: Impossible?**

By CelestialRage

She stood outside of Rinoa´s room.

Half of her wanted to go inside and pour an entire glass of ice water on her face to wake her up, while the other half wanted to blow the sleeping girl to smitherens and get over with it. However, none of those options were available...

...at least for the moment.

Rosie took a step inside the room, a sudden noise making her turn to her right quickly. A brown and white dog left the bed where his master rested and made its way towards the raven-haired SeeD, emitting a low growl.

"Angelo." she called it softly as she bent down and presented her hand. The dog raised its ears, a little surprised that this stranger knew his name. Approaching slightly, the canine sniffed the offered hand, finding no menace in her essence.

The dog licked the SeeDs hand and Rosie giggled. "You´re a good boy, aren´t you?" Smiling, she ran her right hand through Angelo´s soft fur. "Yeah, of course you are." As she continued to pet the dog, Rosie´s gaze drifted around her, checking out the room's expensive-looking decoration.

_Why does everyone think that a girl´s room has to be pink and fluffy?_

_Guess they wanted to portrait Rinoa as the poster child of femenine and delicate, but... this room is just WAY too pink! _

_Besides, why is she the only one who gets a room on this train? Where are the other faction members´s rooms? That´s pretty unfair..._

Rosie´s thoughts were interrupted when the train suddenly came to a halt, the SeeD barely able to keep her balance. The jolt had moved Rinoa, who hit the right wall hard without Angelo there to soften her momentum.

"Ouch!" yelped the 'princess' as she stood up, her right hand rubbing her forehead. Rinoa opened her eyes only to find a stranger petting her dog. "Who are you?" she asked to the raven-haired girl in front of her.

"I´m a SeeD, my name´s Rosie." She replied as she stood up, her right hand still caressing Angelo´s back.

Rinoa´s eyes widened "So... SeeD is here?!"

_No, It´s a joke. Smile, you´re on Candid Camera! _

Rosie smirked briefly at her thoughts and then nodded "There are 3 others in my team. Zone asked me if I could wake you up, they´re waiting for you to start the strategy meeting."

The 'princess' smiled widely "I can´t believe that you guys are finally here!" she leaped off the bed and walked to her dresser. "I´m so glad I spoke with Cid directly."

"Yeah, well, here we are." muttered Rosie. She turned around, not really interested in hearing Rinoa´s rambling, and said "I´m going back with the others."

"Wait!" Rinoa´s voice made her stop. The young SeeD turned her head to regard the other raven-haired girl.

"Yeah?"

"Uhm... you´re from Balamb Garden, right?" asked Rinoa, an edge of uncertainty in her voice.

Rosie nodded "Why?"

"Well... you know Seifer?"

The raven-haired SeeD rolled her eyes and said "Yeah... and no, he´s not here. Satisfied?"

Rinoa´s eyes widened "How did you...?"

_Crap! Me and my big mouth!_

"Because he told me about you during the Inaguration Ball." lied Rosie.

"Really?" muttered Rinoa, her eyes narrowing a little in suspicion "So, what´s exactly your relationship with him?"

Rosie sighed, exhasperated at the route the conversation was taking "Look, I only had a dance with him that night, okay? I just barely know him." She shook her head dismissing the memories from that night, especially the ones involving the raven-haired girl in front of her and Squall.

Rosie fought the tears and the impulse of punching the 'princess' squarely on the face as retribution for the heartache she had caused her, and said in the coldest tone she could muster "Now, we´ve got more important things to do than to stay here talking about Seifer, okay? Like planning that important mission you couldn´t accomplish without the aid of SeeD."

Rinoa was speechless by this girl's attitude. She was not used to be told off, less by someone she was paying to get some kind of job done. However, the raven-haired girl knew that the SeeD was right, their mission was first.

But when it was over, both would have a LARGE conversation, she would see to it.

"I guess you´re right." muttered Rinoa as she walked towards the raven-haired SeeD. She glanced at her dog and said "Looks like you have gained Angelo´s trust, so I guess I could rely on you. He´s not one to misjudge people, you know?"

"Dogs are very accurate when judging other people's characters." replied Rosie smiling to the canine sitting next to her. She then directed her gaze towards Rinoa and said "And most of them are better than most people."

ooo ooo

When the raven-haired girls got where the others were waiting, Rinoa's eyes widdened at the sight of Squall. She smiled widely and said "You´re... you know, from the party."

The SeeD only nodded, his gaze turning for a second towards the furthest girl, noticing her stare was fixed on the floor at her feet.

The princess made her way towards the squad leader and took his hand, shaking it as she smiled and said "I'm Rinoa, nice to meet you."

"I'm Squall." he replied. The SeeD released his hand after a brief moment and introduced his comrades "These are Selphie and Zell."

Rinoa just nodded and brought a hand up in greeting. "Hi, everyone!" She turned again towards Squall and said "SeeDs dance quite well, don´t they?"

He shrugged and said "Approach your target inconspiciously at a dance party... There could be missions requiring this kind of subterfuge. A SeeD is expected to learn all kind of skills."

The raven-haired girls´s face fell "Oh, so it´s work related... that´s too bad."

Rosie´s heart ached at the sight of them together, she took a deep breath trying to settle herself and keep her tears at bay. Fortunatelly for her, Zone decided to quicken things.

"Come on, let´s start the meeting." He said as he opened a nearby door "This way, please."

The SeeDs and Owls entered the small strategy room. Although "strategy" was quite a big label for the room, as it looked more like a warehouse with lots of papers pasted around the walls. Rosie had read some of them during her playing FF8 and knew they talked mostly about the long-life president – more exactly, dictator – of Galbadia, Vinzer Deling and all the atrocities he had done to, not only the people of Timber, but also to his own people.

Being the most powerful man in the occidental part of the world, Deling disposed of his enemies rather by execution or by making them rot away inside the high-security faccility located in the middle of the Galbadian Desert District, and of course, no one could stop him from doing so.

Although there were some who tried...

Rinoa´s faction was one of them, although very puny and bad organized as the SeeDs had seen. The Forest Owls were either too brave or too naive to stand against Deling´s iron fist rule.

Rosie bet for the latter.

"Just stand anywhere you want." Said Zone as he smiled shyly. "Sorry for the lack of chairs, but with the small space we´ve got, they´re just a burden."

_You could dispose of Rinoa´s furniture to gain more space, that´s for sure._ Thought Rosie as she positioned herself at Squall´s right. Selphie was on the opposite side of the room, just in front of the windows, while Zell settled on the back, the martial artist´s gaze already wandering through the different Timber Maniac´s articles pasted on the walls.

"This is a full-scale operation." continued Zone as he gestured to the table in the middle of the room. On it, there was a model with a pair of trains in it and a couple of railroad tracks with 2 intersections between them.

The resistance faction´s leader began his speech, his voice was proud and self-confident "Our resistance, "The Forest Owls" will be forever known in the pages of Timber´s independence." Rinoa and Watts grinned and nodded, while the SeeDs´s faces – especially Squall´s – remained blank, even when Zone turned towards them and asked "Excitig, huh?"

"So what are we going to do?" asked Selphie, her gaze turning from the passing hills to the Owls leader´s face.

"Let me brief you about the mission´s situation. It all started when we got a hold of top-secret info from Galbadia." said Zone

"Yeah, I got the info, sir." interrupted Watts, his tone clearly showing he was quite proud of accomplishing that.

"There is a VIP from Galbadia coming to Timber." continued the resistance leader, but just before he could speak again, his comrade Watts interrupted him again.

"Super V-I-P!!"

Zone nodded and said "The guy´s name is Vinzer Deling! Our arch-enemy and the President of Galbadia."

Squall´s frown deepened.

Their target was the president of the most powerful country on the west continent, likely for kidnapping or assasination.

_This has turned out to be more difficult than I thought it would be... and more dangerous too._

"Vinzer Deling is a scoundrel!!" said Watts furiously. "He´s a dictator, not a president."

Rinoa nodded, her eyes full of empathy for her friend. Zone and Watts´s parents were murdered in cold blood by Deling when Galbadia had finally conquered Timber, after a 5 years war. The son-of a- bitch had executed them in front of the townspeople just to set an example... he didn´t even cared whether there were children between the crowd.

Zone and Watts had seen the entire thing...

She despised not only the Galbadian president, but all those who supported him.

Rinoa shook her head to dismiss her thoughts and turned to see the SeeDs while saying "President Deling is taking a private train from the Galbadian capital."

"Our plan is to..." Zone said, this time Selphie interrupted him.

"Blow him to smitherens with a rocket launcher?!" the tiny SeeD's tone was hopeful. Rosie turned to see her friend, a small grin on her face.

"Eh.. not quite..." replied Zone, a little alarmed by the enthusiasm Selphie had showed when talking about blowing up stuff.

"So get to the point!" yelled exhasperated Zell. The martial artist´s patience had finally wore off "Just tell us what to do."

Rinoa sighed and took a couple of paces towards the table. "Okay, then... shall we begin?" she said as she motioned the others to come closer. "First, I´ll go over the models." She getured towards the upper part of the tracks where 2 train cars were attached, one yellow the other red. "The yellow train on the top right is our "base", we´re riding it right now. Right next to it is the "dummy car", we made it look just like Deling´s."

The raven-haired girl motioned towards the other model "This is their train. It has 4 cars: first the locomotive, followed by the "first escort"." She tapped the third car "This is where the Presiden is, and this is the "second escort", once we get on this one, we start the operation." Rinoa´s gaze turned from the table to the people gathered around it "Our ultimate goal is to seize the President in his car by using our base. That means we´ll have to switch our dummy car with Deling´s. We´ll use 2 switch points leading up to Timber to carry out this operation."

"Seems kinda... imposible, doesn´t it?" said Selphie.

"Not quite." replied Rinoa as she tapped a button underneath the table, making the train models move. "We´ve actually thought this to be carried out in 7 steps." She tapped the "second escort" car and said "We´ll get on the roof of this one by jumping from our "dummy car"."

"Jumping?" asked Squall. "How far would we be from their train?"

"Just a couple of meters" replied Zone "The driver has instructions to approach you as much as possible to the galbadian train."

"Once your on the "second escort" car, you have to extreme precautions, because it´s equipped with sensors, sir." said Watts.

Rinoa nodded and said "A high tech officer is on board." She shook her head and continued "I´ll talk about the sensors later, let´s just continue with the operation steps, okay? All I´ll say for now is we can move across the roof to the president´s car without worrying too much."

"Yeah, Deling hates the company of his guards and being surrounded by sensors and keeps them away from his car." Said Zone. The teenager smirked and continued "Good thing for us, don´t you think?

"We have to complete the uncoupling process before the first switch point." said Rinoa as she shook her head. "Otherwise.."

"BOOM! Game over, right?" interrupted Selphie.

The raven-haired girl nodded "Yeah, that´s why we have to move really fast. Let´s continue.." she tapped another button, making the "second escort" car and the rest of the galbadian train separate.

"Wait a sec." Zell´s voice was audible for the first time in minutes. "How are we supposed to uncouple the cars?"

Rinoa shook her head and said "I´ll explain the process later, let´s focus first in understanding the whole plan, ok?" When the SeeDs nodded, she continued "After the car is uncoupled we´ll have the dummy car and our base move in." Rinoa tapped another button, making the Owls´s model take their position in the gap between the galbadian cars. "At this point, our train and theirs will be linked and moving together."

The raven-haired girl tapped yet another button, making the joined models advance slightly "This is where the last uncoupling will take place, of course the process is similar to the first one. We must accomplish it before the second switch point, because we´ll use the change of trails to escape with the president´s car." Rinoa´s face turned to the SeeDs "After that, we´ll return to our base and prepare the confrontation with Deling."

She took a deep breath and continued "We´ll have only 5 minutes to complete the 7 procedures. If we fail, our train will colide with theirs and it all would be over, don´t forget that."

"Only 5 minutes?" repeated Zell as he frowned a little "You sure that´s enough?"

"According to the simulation we ran last week, it should only take 3 minutes to complete the operation." replied Zone. He smiled and said "Piece of cake for SeeDs, right?"

"Of course!" yelled Selphie, her excited tone showing just how eager she was to get into motion "Too easy!"

Squall, however, wasn´t so sure about it, but decided to keep his doubts until they had explained the sensors and the uncoupling process. Then he could have a better and more sustained opinion.

"Well, now let´s go over the sensors on the "second escort" car... Go ahead Watts." said Rinoa as she motioned to their intelligence specialist and moved to the side to make him room.

"The guards have a sound sensor and a temperature sensor, sir. Their range of action is only one window wide, but they´re still an obstacle." said the teenager as he pulled some blueprints on these devices and put them on the table. "Any sound will trigger the sound sensor, so you have to be really quiet. The temperature sensor will detect heat rise, although it has a range of error of 10, so you can use this on your favor and avoid being detected by moving fast past its position."

"How do we know where are the sensors?" asked Squall.

"There are 2 guards on that car, each of them is carrying one of this devices. A junior cadet would be carrying the sound sensor, while a senior soldier will be in charge of the other one." replied Watts as he opened a manilla folder and produced a couple of photographs showing galbadian troopers. "As you can see, their uniforms are different in color and shape. The blue one is the junior cadet, while the red one is the senior. It´s pretty easy to tell which is which."

Rosie spoke for the first time during the whole explanation. "How are we going to check on them? We can´t see through the rooftop´s metal."

_At least during the game I had the chance to check on them with a lateral view, but now... I´m going to be right on top of them._

"With this." said Rinoa as she showed the SeeDs a little device attached to a very small digital screen "This optical cable will help us see what´s going on inside the car. It can be easily slipped through keyholes or, in our case, ventilation shafts."

"That´s about it for the sensors." said Rinoa "now let´s talk about how to uncouple the cars."

"Question!" chirped Selphie as she raised her hand as though she was inside a classroom.

"Yeah?"

"How can you uncouple the cars from a moving train?"

"Well, we can´t uncouple the cars directly." replied Rinoa

"Instead we´ll have to tamper with the digital control system that manages the coupling" said Zone "If we can temporarily disable the circuit for the connection, the cars will uncouple automatically. To disable it we´ll have to enter some codes."

"And we have the codes." intervened Watts "Rinoa has them."

The 'princess' nodded and said "You´ll have to access the codes in the control panel located at the right side of the door, so whoever is entering the code into the system would have to slide down the train using a cable. I´ll be in charge of delivering the codes, so you won´t have to worry about it." Her tone became more serious "There is an strict time limit of about 5 seconds to enter each code, so you have to be quick and precise, otherwise it would change and the past entries become invalid. Don´t forget that." She looked around and asked "Any questions?"

"Uhmm... yeah, this model is nice, but the president´s car looks kinda shabby... Why´s that?" asked Selphie as she took a closer look at the model on the table.

"Yeah, Rinoa made it, that´s why." said Watts grinning "We bought everything else at the gift store."

"Uh? I thought a kid made it." said Zell picking up the model and examining it further. "The paint job sucks too."

Rinoa grabbed the item from the martial artist´s hands as she frowned and said "Oh, shut up! I made it look like that on purpose." She squeezed the model in her hand "It represents my hatred towards Deling."

"Hatred, eh?" replied Zell as he crossed his arms over his chest and grinned "Yeah, right..."

"It´s the... ugliest thing I´ve ever seen. You must really hate the man." said Selphie with her trademark rude honesty, gaining a light chuckle from Rosie.

"Are you guys finished?" yelled Rinoa, her hands on her hips "Enough about the model, okay? Can we get on with it now?" She then turned to her comrades and said "Let´s decide on the party."

Zone´s hands bolted to his stomach "Owwww, my gastritis is attacking again..."

"Gathering info is my especiality." said Watts before bolting out of the room.

Rinoa shrugged as she shook her head and muttered "You two are incorregible..." She turned to see the SeeDs and nodded "Well, I guess it´s us 5 then."

Suddenly the train started moving.

"Perfect, seems we´re finished the coupling process with our dummy car." said Rinoa as she walked towards the exit of the room "I´ll go take a look. You guys prepare yourselves and contact Watts as soon you´re ready." She turned before closing the door and said "The sooner the better."

Once the SeeDs were left alone inside the room, Selphie took one more time the Owls´s model and shook her head "That´s just too much hassle." The tiny SeeD put the object back on its place and excitedly said "Heey! How about this?" She took a few steps back and brought her hands to the front as though she was holding a bat "Let´s derail the president´s car. You know, hit it with a big log of something." As she said the last part, the brunette swung her hands as though she was hitting the model with her imaginary weapon. "And then we watch it crash and burn!"

Selphie turned to her comrades and asked smiling "So, what do you guys think?"

The three other SeeDs remained silent.

Finally, Zell shook his head and asked "What´s the point in killing him before abducting him?"

ooo ooo

"This is the dummy car we´ll be using for the operation." said Rinoa proudly as she walked through the hall of the car.

Once the SeeDs had finished with their preparations – which really didn´t took them long – Rinoa had offered them to see the dummy car they´d prepared for the mission.

Looking around, Squall had to admit the Owls had done an amazing job.

The 'princess' had shown them some photos from the real presidential car, although how a puny resistance faction like them had access to those photos was a real mystery for the SeeDs. But none could deny the dummy car was an excellent imitation of the real thing.

Even the president had been duplicated.

A couple of faction members entered the car carrying a real-size dummy of Deling. They settled it on the car´s central couch and moved to the side so the SeeDs could have a better look of it.

"It´s amazing, isn´t it?" said one of the men proudly. "I´m the one who made it. It has a mechanism that senses people´s proximity and 'talks' when you get close enough."

"I wanna prove it!" chirped Selphie as she moved towards the dummy.

When the tiny SeeD was a couple of feet away, the fake president's voice was heard "I´m in a bad mood right now! If there´s nothing in particular, I order you to leave immediately!"

"Woow! It's really something." exclaimed Selphie.

"Yeah, it even talks like the real thing." added Rinoa smiling.

"But, don't you think they'll notice the difference if they get as close as Selphie?" asked Zell.

"We've got that covered." replied the other man "We're going to make the dummy hold a newspaper, that way it would have most of its face covered. And with what my partner programmed it to say, I highly doubt anyone will dare look over the paper!"

Rinoa looked at her watch. "Let's go, we're almost there." She turned her gaze to the SeeDs "Well, any final questions?"

"Yeah..." Rosie´s voice was once more audible. The other SeeDs were surprised she had spoken so little during the entire meeting, so their gazes focused on the raven-haired SeeD. She looked directly to Rinoa's eyes and said "I was just wondering ... if you guys are naïve enough to think that the most powerful country in the west part of the world would be as stupid as to let important info, like their president's whereabouts, slip that easily."

"What?!" Rinoa's eyes widened as the SeeD's words registered in her mind.

Rosie shrugged "Don't tell me you haven't questioned it?"

When Rinoa remained silent, the raven-haired SeeD smiled "Then you're quite naïve."


	24. Chapter 24 Midday Express

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII..._

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 24: Midday express**

By CelestialRage

"Then you´re quite naïve."

Rinoa´s blood boiled.

_How dare she question our capacity?! _

The raven-haired frowned deeply and said "For your information, we risked our lives to get the codes and info on Deling's trip to Timber. We've been planing this for almost a month now, running simulations and confirming that all the info we gathered was accurate, so I really think you should apologize."

The room was silent for a couple of minutes, all the eyes were settled on the two raven-haired girls, as they stood one in front of the other. Rinoa's face was red with anger, while Rosie's remained calm and expressionless.

Squall folded his arms over his chest. Although the brunet thought the same as Rosie, the Owls were their clients... "We're sorry for this." He said as he turned to see Rinoa.

Rosie's eyes widened as she looked at the man at her right.

"Let's focus on the mission, shall we?" the SeeD squad leader added.

Rinoa nodded and turned her gaze to the raven-haired SeeD "You´re going to be on the mission, whether you like it or not. We're not paying you a fortune just to have you stand around." With that, the 'princess' turned around and left the room.

Zell and Selphie looked at each other and decided to follow Rinoa's example. Squall didn't show any intentions on leaving, so Rosie figured he wanted to have a word with her privately. Once the door closed behind the last Owl, the raven-haired girl turned to look at the man standing at her right.

"Why?" muttered Rosie looking at Squall right in the eyes.

"They're our clients. We're not to question their orders or the mission." He replied as he shook his head slightly.

"Cid told us to give them advice." the raven-haired folded her arms and frowned. "Besides, tell me you don´t think this mission is nothing more but a set-up."

Squall's frown deepened. He remained silent for a couple of minutes, his gaze still locked with hers. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely audible "I think the same as you, but our job is to accomplish whatever mission the Owls have for us."

"But what if the outcome is failure? What if we were able to prevent it?" asked Rosie, her tone lowering as Squall's did.

_What if I told you that Deling is not going to be on that train and we´ll end up kidnapping a monster?_

_What if we get faster to the TV Station and get a hold on the president before Seifer gets corrupted by Ultimecia? _

_What if...?_

"Then tell me how to do it." said Squall as he folded his arms again.

It was Rosie´s turn to remain silent.

_If I tell you what I know... would you believe me? _

_Or would you consider me crazy? _

_I have to be very careful not to let any unnecessary details slip or else..._

"The best we can do is abort the mission." The raven-haired shook her head. "I think we better return to Timber and wait."

Squall placed his right hand on his hip and mimicing Rosie's motion asked "Wait? For what?"

"I don´t know... there must be something else behind all this." replied Rosie as she shrugged.

Squall sighed in frustration and folded his arms again. His gaze locked with hers one more time "Look, I agree with you, okay? But I don´t really think the Owls are going to trash a plan where they have invested time and money."

The raven-haired girl remained silent for a couple of minutes, considering the possible explanations she could give Rinoa in order to have her cancel the mission...

... but none was too plausible.

She couldn't tell them all she knew, that was for sure.

Rosie closed her eyes and sighed while she finally muttered "I guess you're right." Then the raven-haired SeeD turned her gaze once more towards Squall's and added "But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"I know." replied the brunet. His folded arms moved and relaxed at his sides "But we can be prepared."

ooo ooo

"Squall, over here!"

The wind carried Rinoa´s voice. Rosie frowned a little as she emerged from the hatch on the Owls´s train rooftop, not only because the 'princess' had called _his_ name, but also because the chilled air hit her face with enough force to make it difficult to breathe.

The raven-haired SeeD crawled cautiously all the way towards her comrades, who were already in position. Rinoa´s hair revolved around her face, caught by the fast breeze. She raised her voice, so the others could hear her over the moving train´s noise.

"We´ll catch up with the 'second escort' soon, so let´s get ready. We should time our jumps well after we catch up with them to save time." She looked at Squall and said "We should go first."

Rosie set her jaw tightly and tried to keep her mind focused on the mission. She heard Selphie´s voice raise at her side "Okay, we´re next in line!"

Rinoa nodded and turned her gaze towards the already approaching train "Okay, from now on we´ve got... exactly 5 minutes to complete the operation." Zell and Squall set their clocks as the 'princess' said "Let´s try to use every second."

ooo ooo

He sighed.

Boredom was killing him!

Seifer looked at the passing ocean as the train made its way towards Timber. It was the fifth time he had made that journey in his relatively short life and each time it seemed to get more boring.

He remembered being thrilled by the underwater railroad the first time, especially by how he was able to gaze at the submarine wildlife as the train swiftly traveled to the other continent. But after almost 9 hours, the natural show could get tiring.

A movement at his side caught the blond's attention. His gaze turned from the deep ocean to the deeply asleep woman lying next to him on the couch.

Quistis turned slightly in her sleep, her right foot kicking Seifer´s left leg sofly. He smirked as his gaze wandered through her form, stopping at the blonde woman´s face, a frown could be seen in her delicate features.

"Trying to fight off the Sleep spell, instructor?" Seifer said amusedly as he leaned closer to Quistis. The young man shook his head slightly "You shouldn´t bother. Without your Guardians, you won´t be able..." his lips almost touched her ear as he said "So don´t tire yourself."

He smirked and got up, watching Quistis toss and turn on the couch, as though she was having terrible nightmares. Frowning a little at the ex-instructor´s spunk, Seifer decided not to take any chances and cast another Sleep spell on the blonde woman. Her body was enveloped by purple and yellow sparkles and Quistis went limp on the couch, her frown dissapearing while her breathing deepened again.

Seifer smirked and turned around to exit the cabin, grabbing the 'Don´t disturb' sign and placing it on the doorknob as he closed and locked the door behind him.

His steps echoed through the passenger´s walkway as he moved towards the Dinner Car. He looked at his watch and smiled.

Only 2 more hours...

ooo ooo

Selphie finished inserting the optical cable inside the ventilation shaft and put the digital screen on-line.

"Well done, Selph." said Rosie as she watched the flat screen display the soldiers´s movements inside the car.

"Okay, we gotta get to the other side." said Rinoa watching the screen "Looks the one carrying the temperature sensor is closer, so we have to move really quick."

Squall nodded and turned to the martial artist beside him "Zell, you go first." Selphie gave him the other screen, which was already on-line so he could keep an eye on the soldiers. Just before the martial artist started his way towards the other end, Squall´s hand rested on his shoulder, causing the blond to turn around. "Remember the signal."

"It´s cool, man." replied the martial artist before he moved swiftly towards the other end. The SeeDs kept looking between Zell and the screen. Selphie swallowing hard as the blond almost didn´t have time to stop when the soldier carrying the sound sensor suddenly turned around and walked towards his superior.

When he finally reached the other side, the martial artist let out a heavy sigh. "That one was way too close!" he said before turning to face his comrades and giving them a thumbs up.

Squall nodded and said "Rinoa it´s your turn."

She glanced back at him and nodded. The raven-haired moved as fast as she could, coming to a halt when Zell´s right hand came up in a 'stop' sign. She tried to calm her heavy breathing as she looked at the blond's face.

Rosie turned to look at the screen.

The soldier carrrying the sound sensor was right beneath Rinoa and seemed to be cheking the device. Suddenly, he shook it...

"It´s not working..." Squall's eyes narrowed.

Rosie turned to look at him frowning a little. _I don´t remember this happening... but I always passed that part quite quickly... maybe this happens in the game, but I didn´t see it._

Zell had noticed it too and quickly waved Rinoa to advance. She obliged and ran the remaining way to the end of the car.

"C'mon!" said the martial artist between clenched teeth as he gestured the others to hurry up and gather with them.

"Go!" ordered Squall, motioning the two girls in front of him to move. Selphie nodded and started walking towards Zell and Rinoa. When the brunette girl was in the middle of the train, Rosie moved, trying to keep her balance and walk as fast as she could at the same time.

Suddenly, Zell's hand shot up, making her stop dead on her tracks. Rosie stared intently at the martial artist's face. He frowned and then signaled his ear and nodded.

_Damn, that means the sensor is working?_

Her heartbeat got faster and she kneeled slowly, trying to make as less noise as possible. Rosie kept her eyes on her friends in front of her, Selphie was bitting her lower lip nervously as her eyes watched the screen, while Zell's frown deepened and his mouth moved slightly, surely cursing at the soldiers.

Her heart gave a somersault as she looked at the brunette, whose eyes had widened in horror.

_What is happening?!_ thought Rosie frantically.

Zell turned his gaze up, locking it with hers and shook his head. The raven-haired SeeD could see his lips moving but she couldn't quite make out whatever he was trying to tell her. The martial artist must have seen her confusion for he brought both hands up and made a gesture imitating walking legs getting closer.

_The soldiers are coming towards me!!_

_What am I gonna do? _

_I can´t stay or the temperature sensor will go off, nor can I move or I´ll activate the sound sensor..._

ooo ooo

The junior officer checked the sound sensor again. Fortunately for him, his frown was hidden by his helmet, otherwise he was sure his superior would have reduced his monthly salary. He gazed at the red-cladded soldier approaching to his position and feigned to be reading the sensor´s lecture.

As his superior walked by, he shook his head.

It didn´t matter how skilled the ranking officer said he was with machinery, the damn sensor had to be broken.

He tapped the screen and sighed when the image flickered and finally disappeared.

ooo ooo

"NOW!" Zell almost yelled as he motioned Rosie to move fast towards them. She moved just as the soldier with the temperature lecture was reaching her position.

"That was close!" said Selphie as she looked at Rosie's paled face.

The raven-haired SeeD was only able to nod. She turned around and watched as Squall swiftly and skillfully made his way towards them, halting briefly as the junior soldier walked beneath him.

When the SeeD leader was finally beside Rosie, Rinoa gestured to the car next to them and said "This is the president´s car. After we get across, we´ll procede with the first uncoupling."

"At least we don´t have to worry about sensors in this one." muttered Rosie as a tiny smile crept to her face.

ooo ooo

He looked to the passing by forests as the train moved towards Timber.

A _whoosh_ sound indicated the door to his luxurious car had been opened. He rolled his eyes and prayed whoever was invading his privacy would check the cabin quickly and left him alone.

The least he needed was to keep talking to those idiots.

"Sir, everything's in order, sir!" said a male voice behind him.

A faint growl came from his throat "You again... That´s 27 times now." Without even bothering to see the pesky soldier who had dared to come to his presence, he coldly asked "How many more times do you plan to disturb me with your meaningless report?"

"Sir, I´m sorry, sir. But it´s my duty, sir." replied the soldier saluting the man for the 28th time in just 4 hours.

"It´s hard to believe anyone would put up with this nonsense." said the president frowning as he shifted in his seat. His tone seemed more like a growl to the soldier standing behind him and he took an involuntary step backwards. Seeming to notice his subbordinate´s reaction, the president cleared his throat and shrugged "Well, I guess it´s non of my bussiness. Dismissed:"

"... Y.. yes, sir." replied quickly the soldier as he saluted the man and turned to leave. Suddenly, an strange odor came to his nose and he halted to take in the scent. The soldier frowned at the incredibly rank and strong smell. He was about to tell the president, but he thought better and walked outside the car.

The least he needed was to make matters worse. He was sure he´ll lose his next month´s paycheck. How was he supposed to propose to his girlfriend now?

Surely he would have to put it off again...

ooo ooo

"Okay, this is the first escort. We´re going to uncouple this first." said Rinoa as she held her hair still with her left hand.

Squall pulled out a thick grey cable and attached one end at his waist, while Selphie bent down and connected the optical cable to the screen.

"´Kay, we´ve got visual." said the petite SeeD as she watched the soldiers inside the car. "There´s only 2 guards, guess Watts was right." She added, glancing at Rosie, who was kneeling at her side.

Squall nodded and gave Zell the other end of the cable. "Is it clear?"

Rosie nodded "Yeah, they´re both chatting on the other side of the car." Her eyes locked with his as she said "Be careful, though."

He just nodded and turned to look at Rinoa, who had produced a little piece of paper, which flitted in the wind.

"Okay, are you ready to enter the codes, Squall?" she asked.

"Let´s get to it." he replied as he leaped down, Zell holding the cable securely. As the SeeD leader reached the car's rear door, he brought his legs to the front, securing them on each side of the entrance, keeping his body well balanced and very near to the security panel. Squall opened a little platinium panel just beside the door and said "Give me the first code."

"4, 3, 4, 1..." said Rinoa as she leaned a little over the edge of the car´s rooftop.

"Second code." said Squall after a couple of seconds.

"It´s... 2, 4, 3, 3"

"Third!"

"Squall, the blue!" shouted Rosie.

Zell pulled the cable, hauling the young man just in time to avoid being spotted by the wandering soldier.

"Did he see us?" asked Rinoa, bitting her lip.

"Nope." replied Selphie as she kept her eyes on the screen. "... he´s already turning around... wait... wait... ok, go!"

Squall leaped again and once he was in position, Rinoa said "Okay, the third code is 2, 3, 2, 1"

The SeeD leader tapped the corresponding buttons and was brought up again by Zell. As he ascended, he could hear the metallic bars coupling the train opening.

"C´mon, we gotta move!" said Rinoa, scrambling her way to the president's car, the other teenagers following her close. The raven-haired girl cast a little Fire spell to the air, making a floating flame that lasted just a few seconds. The moving Owl's base turned on its lights a couple of times, indicating they had received the signal.

"You can use magic?" asked Selphie looking at Rinoa wide-eyed.

The 'princess' nodded a little as she watched her base speeding to get in front of the Galbadian train. "Yeah, took some classes. I´m in a resistance faction, so I have to be able to defend myself, right?"

All chances to reply her statement were lost as the Owl´s train slid between the first escort and the presidents car. Suddenly, it reduced its speed, making both trains couple. Rinoa took another piece of paper out of her outfit and gave it to Selphie.

"Here. These are the codes to uncouple our base from their train. You guys should take care of this one." said the raven-haired girl. "I´ll take care of the first escort uncoupling with Squall."

"´Kay!" replied Selphie as she took the paper and retrieved the optical cable.

"You sure? There would be no one to keep an eye on the soldiers for you." said Rosie frowning a little.

"Yeah, go." replied Squall, handing Zell half of the metallic cable. When she didn´t move, he turned and said "I´ll take a look by myself. Now go!"

ooo ooo

The soldier took in a deep breath before stepping inside the president's car. He knew Deling wouldn't be pleased to be bothered again, but he couldn´t help it. It was his job, after all.

"S... sir, everything's in order, sir!" He said as he saluted his superior. When he got no response, the trooper released a breath he had been holding since he entered the car.

_That´s strange... _

_Phew! At least he´s not mad..._

He noticed the president now held an opened newspaper and, for the look of it, was quite absorved in the reading. He was sure that was the reason why Deling wasn´t cutting off his salary by now.

_I wonder where he got it?_

The door to the car opened and a senior officer came inside. "Hey, what´s taking you so long?" Then he halted, noticing the president wasn't shouting him to get out of his car... nor was saying anything at all. The officer approached cautiously to the couch where his superior was sitting and worriedly asked "Sir, is there a problem?"

This got a reaction from the man. "I´m in a bad mood right now! If there´s nothing in particular, I order you to leave immediately!"

Although the president's tone was a little strange, the officer knew better than to go against Deling's orders, especially one like that "S-S-Sir! Aye aye!" He almost stumbled as he leaped backwards and saluted the sitting man frantically "YESSIR!" The officer turned and looked at the soldier still standing at the left side of the car. "YOU! Don't just stand there! Go back to your station!"

"S-Sir! Yes, sir!" replied the soldier as he saluted the leaving officer.

_Great! _

_There goes another paycheck... that´s two in just one day!_

He shook his head as he left the car. _No ring and now no more candlelight dinner... I´m never going to be able to get married!_

The poor trooper sighed and looked at the car´s richly decorated walls. Suddenly, he turned around and had a quick glance at the interior of the president´s car as the doors closed.

_The HECK?! The interior of the presidential car looked shabbier..._

_... maybe not._ The soldier shrugged and continued his walk towards the second escort.

ooo ooo

"Okay, this is the second escort. Once we do this uncoupling, we're home free." said Rinoa as she watched Squall secure the other end of the cable to the car's rooftop. He tested it and once he was sure it could support his weight, he turned towards her and nodded.

"Let´s get over with this." The brunet said as he leaned over, taking a quick glance to the car's interior and checking the soldiers' positions. Fortunately for him, there were also 2 troopes inside the compartment, which made his task easier. Squall leaped down and held himself in position as he said "Okay, first code."

ooo ooo

"2, 3 ,3 , 4" said Rosie as she kneeled beside Selphie, who was checking on the soldiers in the digital screen.

"Ready. Next!" replied Zell, looking upwards to the girls on the rooftop.

ooo ooo

"4, 4, 2, 1" said Rinoa as she looked anxiously at the cable holding Squall´s weight.

ooo ooo

"3, 2, 4, 2... oh, crap!" said Rosie.

"What?!" asked Selphie anxiously, looking at her friend.

The raven-haired SeeD leaned towards the brunette, holding the paper so she could see it "Is this a 2 or an unfinished 3?"

"Next!" said Zell.

Selphie looked at the doodle. Rosie was right, it was a mixture between both numbers. Rinoa must had written hurriedly that at the end, because it was really hard to tell which number it was. "I dunno, but... for the look of it... I´m going with a 2."

Rosie let out an exhasperated sigh. "Damn! I'm gonna kill her!"

"Hey! NEXT!"

"I heard you the first time, ok?!" snapped Rosie sharply. She took a deep breath trying to settle herself and said "Here, it´s 4, 3, 4... 2"

ooo ooo

"Last one!" said Squall as he glanced quickly at his left.

"It´s..."

"Wait!" The SeeD quickly spun to his right, placing himself on the bars coupling the cars. He had just spotted a blue-clad soldier walking towards his position.

ooo ooo

"Huh?"

Out the corner of his eyes, the galbadian detected a flash of black. He walked towards the window and pressed his cheek against it, trying to get a better view of the outside part of the car.

After a few seconds, he shrugged and entered the restroom.

_Must have been my imagination._

ooo ooo

Squall calmly watched as the door closed, the galbadian trooper disappearing behind it. He spun to his left and held on to the cable, his body once more clinging from the car´s rooftop.

"Last one." He repeated as he took his position in front of the control panel once more.

Rinoa released her breath and said "4, 2, 2, 1"

ooo ooo

"Ready! Gotta get to the Owl´s train!" said Zell, climbing the cable. Rosie held her hand for him to take and helped the martial artist to get over the rooftop. The three SeeDs ran towards the yellow train, the metallic sound of the retreating bars making them go faster.

ooo ooo

"C´mon, Squall!" yelled Rinoa as she ran towards her base, the SeeD leader hot on her heels.

He could see his comrades already running to meet them on their client´s train.

ooo ooo

The Owl's base hit the second trail's junction and it activated as programmed. The yellow train changed tracks and moved away with the presidential car.

Just as the second escort hit the junction, it changed again, the galbadian train following the first escort through the trail.

As they rode away, Rosie could see numerous Galbadian soldiers gazing out the windows at the retreating yellow train and their crimson presidential car.

"Wooohoooo!!" yelled Selphie happily at her side. "We did it!!"

The raven-haired SeeD looked around at the 3 smiling teens in front of her. She turned to look at Squall, whose eyes were closed and seemed to be deep in thought.

She knew what he was thinking.

The mission had been way too easy.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note:_

_I´m sorry, I know this chapter is LATE!! But, I went on vacation after all those months of suffering thanks to my college teachers and I was practically threatened to leave my laptop at home under penalty of death... But I´m finally back!! :D_

_I hope you guys like this chapter. Tried to keep Rosie more focused on the mission, than on her hate towards Rinoa :D Anyway, remember all critics are always welcomed._

_BTW, I just opened a forum here at and wanted to invite all of you to join. It´s called Little chest of wonders. There´s already a thread in there, but you´re more than welcomed to open yours. You know, the more, the merrier! (I think it´s written like that...)_

_All topics are welcome (except of course, those which are banned by the forum authorities like sexual or violent ones), so feel free to talk about anything bothering those pretty heads of yours._

_Well, gotta keep writing... I have a lot catch up to do!_

_Love ya all!_

_OH! I almost forgot!! Thanks to A Dark Night for the explanation on the Slider Sorceress´s name, I really like it so don´t change it :D, unless of course you can top it! jejeje._


	25. Chapter 25 Rotten Luck

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 25: Rotten luck**

By CelestialRage

"That was amazing, sir! You´re the best, sir!"

Watts had been showering the SeeDs with compliments since they had entered the Owl´s base. Squall – whose turn to receive Watts's praise had arrived – just nodded at the teen and called the SeeDs apart.

He looked at Rosie and said "You're right. The security on that train was almost non-existant."

"Wha? Wait a minute, man! Of course there was security! Didn't 'ya see all those g-soldiers on the train?" replied Zell frowning.

"Do you really think they were enough to secure the president of the most powerful country on this side of the globe?" asked Rosie frowning as she looked at the martial artist standing on her left.

"Well..." Zell didn´t had the chance to finish his reply, as Rinoa's voice interrupted him.

"You 4, tell me when you're ready to go." She said as she walked from behind them towards the presidential car's entrance. "As soon as you´re ready, I´ll start "serious negociations" with the president."

Squall's frown deepened. He didn´t like the term "serious negociations", it surely meant trouble. He just nodded towards Rinoa and turned to look at his comrades His tone became low, just enough for them to hear. "We better prepare ourselves for anything."

The SeeDs nodded in agreement, each of them proceding to check on their junctions and GF´s. Rosie leaned near Selphie and asked "Do you have any Phoenix Downs on you?"

The brunette girl nodded "Just one. You know, for emergencies."

The raven-haired SeeD smiled and nodded back.

_Trust me, this is going to be an emergency._

ooo ooo

The door opened with a _whoosh_ and the 5 teenagers entered the presidential car. Deling was still sitting with his back facing them. Squall's frown deepened when he noticed the president stayed calm and collected even as Rosie came to sight, holding Reaper in her hand and aiming for the man's head.

Rinoa joined the raven-haired SeeD and said "President Deling... as long as you... don´t resist, you won´t be hurt..." her voice sounded weak and a little frightened, but still the young woman held her ground when the old man turned his face to look at her dead in the eyes.

A minute or so passed and Squall got the impression the president was seizing the young girl in front of him. Suddenly – and to everyone´s surprise – Deling chuckled, threat evident in the evil sound. His sudden change of demeanor made Rinoa take an involuntary step back and Rosie´s grip on Reaper harden as the president's laughter was replaced by an ill-natured smirk.

"And what if I do resist? What would you do, young lady?" his gaze was fixed on Rinoa as she trembled slightly and gave another step back.

"What´s wrong?" asked Squall, moving to his right and stopping dead on his tracks when he got a better view of Deling´s face.

His eyes were no longer black, they had changed to a yellowish hue.

"The hell?!" exclaimed Zell as he and Selphie moved to support his comrades.

"Boo hoo! Too bad..." said Deling, twitching his neck to the side in an unnatural way. The SeeDs took combat stances as the man in front of them stood up. "I´m not the president. I´m what they call... a body double." He said, smiling wider as Rinoa´s face went blank with shock.

The fake Deling chuckled even more evily than he had before, a little drool escaping from his mouth, but he didn´t seem to care, not now when all the teens around him knew what he was. "All those rumors about the many resistance factions in Timber... You pass along a little fake information and they fall for it!" His creepy laughter echoed through the compartment again. Hiz gaze fell on Rinoa as he said between chuckles "How pathetic! Seems like there are only amateurs around here..."

"Ama... amateurs?" muttered Rinoa still in shock that all her info was fake. She couldn´t believe all their hard work had been for nothing!

The thing – because at this point, all of them were sure he wasn´t human – patted his rear slightly before speaking again. "My butt hurts form all that sitting... young... LADY..." his voice had grown deeper, reminding Rosie of Ifrit´s unearthly tone. The fake president took a step towards Rinoa as it chuckled again, his new tone almost making the cabin´s walls shake "So, what did you have in stoRE for me if I resiSTED?" His neck was still cranned to his right in a sickening way and more drool came out from his mouth as he spoke. "Why doN´T you teLL ME?"

The fake president´s arm swung in Rinoa´s general direction, but was stopped when a massive-caliber bullet pierced its skin.

Rosie had pulled the trigger.

The creature´s neck cranned so that its face was infront of the raven-haired SeeD, reminding Rosie of the famous scene from The Exorcist. The sound of shifting bones and flesh made the young girl sick, her grip on Reaper faltering a little at the sight of the unholy monster's yellow eyes getting closer to her.

"QuiTE AMusing thouGH..." the fake president said as he brought his injured arm up so Rosie could see it. She watched in horror as black goo leaked from the opened wound, though the creature seemed as good as new. His grin became wider as he said "... For BeING suCh AMAteurS!" his other hand quickly came up and gripped Rosie´s throat, pulling her up a couple of feet from the ground.

Zell moved quickly, hitting the monster with a backwards kick, but it just kept standing up as if nothing had happened. Rosie´s left hand was over the fake president´s one at her neck while her right squeezed Reaper´s trigger repeatedly, blowing the left part of the creature´s still smiling face, black goo splashing all over her face and clothes. Revolver slashed the creature's arm, cutting it almost to the elbow and Rosie fell to the floor coughing as she tried to get the creature´s hand off her neck.

The fake president swung his only arm, hitting Zell on the chest and hurling him backwards to a nearby wall. "How DaRE You inSULt thE PreSIdeNT!" it growled as he lunged for Squall. He brought his gunblade up, piercing the monster´s stomach, but much to his surprise, the creature laughed harder and walked nearer him, Revolver´s blade going even deeper into its flesh.

Selphie was about to cast a Fire spell, but with Squall so close to the monster she couldn´t risk it. Instead she ran to Zell and cast a healing spell on the martial artist. Rosie was already on her feet, she had cleaned the black substance out of her eyes and was aiming at the monster´s head, while it tried to bite Squall.

She squeezed the trigger, the Demmolition ammo hitting the monster´s head and blowing a little piece of it. The brunet did the same, Revolver´s powerful blasts opening a huge hole in the creature´s flesh. Stormy eyes closed slightly as the same black goo splashed from the monster´s injures.

Finally, after he had emptied the gunblade´s barrel, the fake Deling stoppped moving and fell limp to the floor. While Squall planted a foot on its chest and shoved his gunblade off the creature, Rosie walked near him and squeezed the Reaper's trigger twice, blowing the thing's head off completely.

_Hope this way it´s really dead._ She thought as she looked at the black blodied mass of flesh.

"Is everyone alright?" asked Squall, turning around to look at his comrades.

"Been better..." came Zell´s reply as he stoop up, still dizzy from the hit he had received. The martial artist was sure had it not been for his junctions, he would be dead by now.

"Wh... what was that thing?!" asked Rinoa, coming closer to the SeeD leader from her hidding place.

"No clue." replied Squall dryly as he looked at the monster´s remains.

_Surely undead monster, by the way it received injures without even flinching._

"Geesh! I need a bath!" said Rosie, trying to get all the black substance off her arms. She looked at the equally dirty Squall and grinned "Well, at least I´m not the only one."

He was about to reply, when a scream from Rinoa made him turn to look at her. The raven-haired girl´s eyes were wide with shock. The SeeDs quickly spun around and prepared their weapons as Deling´s corpse started moving.

"Rinoa, get out of here!" yelled Squall as he readied his stance.

The 'princess' obliged, running for the exit and closing the door behind her. The fake president´s flesh was boiling and the SeeDs could see a strange purple and green steam coming from the corpse. The sound of cracking bones and opening flesh was sickening as was the river of black goo that had erupted from the remains.

The corpse back's flesh went up, clearly concealing something that was growing in the interior of the body. Selphie´s left hand shot to her mouth as she diverted her gaze, unable to watch the macabre show anymore. Rosie shut her mouth tightly, trying to conceal her urge to gag at the nauseous smell that had invaded the cabin. Suddenly, the flesh ripped and a huge greyish flesh mound emerged from the remains.

"What the...?" Squall muttered in shock as he stared at the bizzare creature in front of them.

Although humanoid, the sight was sickening. Its pale grey skin was transparent enough for them to see blueish veins all through its body. Its head was just a skull, though the eye orbs were not empty, instead a burning blue flame lighted them with malice. While its body's right side was proportional, its left was deformed, mounds of flesh vaguely molding a huge arm tipped with green sharp claws and an equally big leg. The most sickening and disturbing part was its abdomen, where a blue tumor-like growth throbbed and shifted as though it had a will of its own.

Recovering from the initial shock, the brunet organized his group. "Selphie and Rosie, stay back for support. Zell, you´re with me." The SeeDs nodded and moved through the cabin.

"BWAAAARGH!" The monster let out a gutural growl as it leaped for the martial artist. Although its massive size and apparent clumsyness, the creature was rather quick. Its deformed right arm raised, preparing to slam the blond SeeD, as he quickly spun around, a Fire spell hitting the thing's blue abdomen.

Squall moved forward, his gunblade slashing the creature's deformed leg, black goo splashing at the contact. A gunshot echoed through the cabin as Rosie aimed for the thing's skull and squeezed Reaper's trigger. Selphie had finally the chance to use the Fire spell she had been preparing and cast it just after the second gun's blast.

The creature seemed pissed, though relatively uninjured. It took a breath and aimed at Selphie, releasing a green gas towards the tiny SeeD. She moved to her right, catching her breath and avoiding to inhale the alien substance.

Zell and Squall charged again, the first one sending quick jabs to the monster's back, while the second one jumped and slashed the creature's head. Rosie aimed and shot at the blue abdomen, more goo splashing everywhere as the result of the 3 SeeDs attacks. The monster growled again and sent a spell to Squall, whose vision suddenly went black.

"Damn!" he cursed under his breath as he searched his mind for a curative spell. Suddenly he heard the monster´s growl again and the characteristic sound of a heavy blown being contained by a Protect spell.

Selphie focused on her spell as the monster tried desperatively to reach her through her magical defense. Rosie cast a Cure spell on the monster, gaining a growl from it as its deformed body twitched in pain.

"Undead monster!" yelled Selphie as she searched her mind for more Cures.

"Gotcha!" shouted Zell as he focused his energy to attack the monster with healing magic.

The creature sensing the magical course around it, turned quickly and used a Silence spell on the martial artist. Zell´s eyes widdened as his mind went mute, he could no longer access his magic stores or reach his GFs.

"Selphie, use the Phoenix Down!" yelled Rosie as she cast another Cure spell on the monster.

The tiny SeeD reached frantically inside her dress's right pocket, but by doing this, her energy on the Protect spell divertered a little, an opportunity the monster seized. It cast a Dispel on the magical barrier, breaking it like a soap bubble, its large deformed arm lunging for Selphie. She leaned backwards, but its sharp claws cut through the skin of her right arm. The brunette clutched at her injure and started hacking and twitching as she fell to her knees.

"Selphie!" yelled Rosie, running to aid her friend.

Zell rushed too, slamming the monster with all his might and sending it against a nearby wall and away from the other 2 SeeDs. Rosie kneeled next to the now pale Selphie and frantically reached inside her friend's pockets trying to find the healing potions she needed.

"Antidote! C'mon!" she yelled before finally finding a small, green bottle with a yellow label. "Drink it, Selph." She said as she poured its contents inside her friend's mouth.

Squall's vision hadn´t returned, he was out of appropiate healing status magic, and couldn´t even rely to his items, since all the vials had the same shape, so he could end up drinking an Echo Screen, instead of the Eye Drops he needed. He decided to focus on his other senses.

The SeeD planted himself firmly on the moving train´s floor, his gunblade up and in a ready stance. Squall´s frown deepened in concentration as he listened intently for the creature´s whereabouts. He could hear Rosie's voice along with Selphie's coughs in the further corner of the room. Zell's fast footsteps could be heard to his left... he was running towards the monster. Squall readied a Blizzard spell, hoping to trap the creepy creature enough so the other SeeDs could use their healing magic on it.

"Rosie!" He yelled, not sure whether she heard him or not. "Prepare the Phoenix Down!"

"Okay!" Squall was relieved when her voice replied.

The raven-haired SeeD left her friend's form leaning against the wall, Selphie's natural color already returning to her paled face. She reached inside the yellow dress's pockets and produced a little red bottle with golden label.

"Got it!" she yelled to Squall.

Meanwhile, Zell was pummeling the monster, keeping it against the left wall of the compartment, far from his comrades. Suddenly, the monster hacked and spit a green substance to the martial artist's face. Zell tried to avoid it, but the green goo splashed on his face. Screaming painfully, the blond brought his hands to his face, Rosie quickly casting a healing spell on him as the monster hit his form with enough force to send him flying across the room.

Squall released his Blizzard spell, trapping the monster's midsection in a thick layer of ice. Rosie ran towards the creature, now that its arms were contained, the red vial in her right hand. The monster used a Silence spell on the raven-haired SeeD, her mind going blank as the connection to her magical resources and GF was cut. The monster hacked again, spitting the same green substance he had used against Zell, catching Rosie's right leg as she got nearer.

She screamed painfully, as the green substance seemed to burn her flesh like acid and fell to her knees, unable to move her injured leg. The monster came closer, its proportional arm getting free from the icy trap Squall had conjured and reaching for the raven-haired girl at its feet.

This proved to be a mistake.

Rosie opened the vial as the creature's hand gripped the front of her green shirt, pulling her up to its face. The monster chuckled evily as it looked at its prey straight to the eyes.

"Eat this!" yelled the raven-haired, splashing the red vial's contents on the grinning monster's ugly face. The creature let out a pained, high-pitched howl, immediately releasing Rosie - who fell hard to the floor - and bringing both hands up to its now melting head.

The powerful healing magic robbed the monster of the death energies that kept its organism up and running. Its body started boiling, flesh and bones melting into a black-bloodied mush as it colapsed to the floor.

Rosie looked down at her injured leg and screamed in pain again as she tried to move it. Panting hard, the raven-haired was a little startled when a hand landed on her shoulder. Looking around, her surprise grew when she found Squall kneeling beside her.

"Well done." He said, his eyes staring blindly to the front. She felt a surge of pain looking at his empty eyes.

"You´re blind." she muttered, halting her hand just before she could caress his face.

"My potions are on the left side of my belt. I can't tell which are the Eye Drops." He said as he turned slightly to the side, so that his little pouch was visible for Rosie. She opened it and produced the small blue and silver vial he needed. She opened it and brought it to his lips so he could drink the contents.

Rosie´s gaze turned from Squall's face to her left, where Zell was already walking towards them. "Good move!" he said as he dusted the green goo remains out of his hair. "And thanks for healing me, that thing's like freakin' acid."

"You tell me..." replied the raven-haired sarcastically while pointing at her still injured leg.

"Cure!" a bright white light enveloped Rosie's form as Selphie cast the healing spell on her friend.

"Thanks, Selph. I´m glad you´re ok." said the raven-haired girl when the tiny SeeD approached her.

"Me too." chirped the brunette, smiling. She turned towards the dark monster's still boiling remains and said "Cool use for a Phoenix Down!"


	26. Chapter 26 Broadcasting

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 26: Broadcasting**

By CelestialRage

"Man, I can´t believe the president was a fake!" said Zone shaking his head as he crossed his arms.

After the SeeDs had recovered from their battle with the creepy Deling´s body-double, they assembled with the Owls inside the tiny "strategy room". Fortunatelly for Rosie and Squall, whose clothes were the ones with most black goo stains, these seemed to melt away as much as the creature's body did, leaving both SeeDs' clothes as good as new again.

"I can´t believe we fell for it!" said Rinoa, her voice clearly showing her shock and confusion.

"Told you..." Rosie muttered as she shrugged slightly.

Rinoa frowned but didn´t reply to the SeeD´s comment.

Suddenly, the door to the cabin opened, Watts getting in hurriedly. "Info, sir! New info!" he wheezed as he came to a halt beside Selphie.

"What is it?" asked Zone anxiously.

"It´s... big news!" said Watts, still trying to catch his breath. "I... I found the real reason... why Deling´s... in here!" The teen took a deep breath and said "He´s going to the TV Station. Security is really tight, sir. Lots of soldiers outside the Station, a whole company I´d say, and there´s more patrolling the streets..."

"The TV Station?" asked Rinoa. She shook her head slightly "But why here? They can broadcast just as easily from Galbadia."

"Maybe there´s something special about the Station?" said Zell.

"It´s been abandoned for years." replied Rinoa as she turned to look at the martial artist. "It´s useless without radiowaves..."

"... I think that´s it!" interrupted Selphie, gaining the attention from all the presents. She turned to look at the other SeeDs and asked "You know, the Dollet Com Tower!"

"What's that?" asked Zone, frowning in confusion.

"Dollet has a communication tower that can transmit and receive radiowaves. It´s been abandoned for a long time, but the Galbadians had it up and running a few days ago." replied Squall, his frown deepening at the clear connection both incidents had. Whatever the Galbadians were planning it had to be big...

"Ohhhh...I get it..." said Zone thoughtfully "The only TV Station capable of broadcasting over the air is here in Timber. Other stations use HD cable, which only supports online broadcasting."

"So, what does that mean?" asked Rinoa looking at Zone.

He returned her gaze and said "They plan on using radiowaves. That way they can transmit images to regions without cable."

She smiled and rolled her eyes "I know that..." Then shook her head and said "What I want to know is what is the president going to broadcast? It must be something they want to tell to the whole world if they´re going to try and use radiowaves, don´t you think? What can it be?"

Selphie giggled and made a 'peace sign' as she chirped "Everybody, love and peace!"

"I highly doubt that Selph." came Rosie's reply.

"Hey it was just a thought!" said the tiny SeeD still smiling.

Zone seemed to haven´t heard a word of it, as he thoughtfully said "If I remember correctly, radiowaves haven´t been used for 17 years..."

"It´s been that long?!" asked Rinoa, surprised. A sudden idea came to her mind, she smiled and said "Hey! Wouldn´t it be wonderful if the first broadcast was the declaration of Timber´s independence?"

"Hey, that might be possible!" replied Zone. He couldn´t think of a better reason why Deling was taking all those troubles just to have a live broadcast.

"Let´s come up with a plan!" said Rinoa. Her friends nodded as she turned around and smiled to the SeeDs "Can you guys give us a minute?" Squall was about to tell his comrades to exit the room when, for his complete astonishment, the three Owls plopped to the floor and began whispering.

"They call that a strategy meeting?!" Zell muttered loud enough for only the SeeDs to hear him. "That´s sad."

Squall had to agree as he watched at the three teens drawing imaginary maps as they continued their whispered conversation. A sudden tug on his jacket´s left arm made him spin around, finding Selphie standing beside him.

"Can we go home now?" she asked, a hopeful glint in her emmerald eyes.

"I don´t really know." replied Squall, suddenly realizing he hadn't checked on their contract with the Forest Owls.

"What about our contract? Shouldn´t you check it, Squall?" Selphie said as she nodded towards the still whispering teens.

He moved towards Zone, Watts and Rinoa, stopping behind the latter. She noticed his shadow towering over her and turned to see him. Smiling, the raven-haired girl said "Good timing! We´ve come up with a plan!"

A copper eyebrow raised. _Two minutes and you´ve come up with a plan to free Timber?_

_Yeah, sure..._ Squall thought as he folded his arms and turned his head to the side. "Before we get into that, I want to see your contract with our Garden." he said coldly.

"Oh, sure." replied Rinoa, searching inside her pockets for the required document. "Here." She extended Squall a folded piece of paper.

"What does it say?" asked Zell as he and the female SeeDs came closer to their squad leader.

Squall remained silent for a couple of seconds before starting to read "**Balamb Garden** (hereafter referred to as 'Party A') acknowledges the **Forest Owls** (hereafter referred to as 'Party B') as the hiring party. **Seed** (hereafter referred to as 'Party C') shall be dispatched upon signing of this contract. Party C shall operate under the supervision..." his voice faltered there while his frown deepened as he tried to understand what the damn paper said.

"...The hell...?!" muttered Zell, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

Selphie shook her head "I don´t get it!"

"It basically says that whenever you see Party A, B and C during the document, it would be reffering to Balamb Garden, the Forest Owls and SeeD respectively. And that SeeD would be deployed after signing the contract." said Rosie nonchalantly, gaining amazed looks from the other teens.

"What?!" asked Rosie indignantly "My dad is a lawyer!" she added with a shrug.

"Yeah, well... that one is pretty confusing." said Rinoa as she took the contract from Squall's hands and searched inside her pockets for something "When I told Cid that I didn´t understand a word of it, he gave me this." She handed Squall another sheet and added smiling "Cid is such a nice man!"

"What's it say this time?" asked Selphie.

Squall opened the sheet to find a simple, but rather especific letter.

_To the Forest Owls: _

_ This SeeD deployment contract will last until Timber achieves independence. Please make good use of each SeeD member. I wish you the best with your objective. Please understand that this contract is an exception, and no replacement of any SeeD members can be made._

_Balamb Garden Headmaster _

_Cid Kramer_

"Until Timber´s independence?!" asked Zell in shock.

"That´s sooo vague!" added Selphie shaking her head.

"Hey! You´re paid proffesionals, so no complaining!" said Rinoa frowning as she placed her hands on her hips.

ooo ooo

He brought a hand up and ran it through his short, golden hair.

Seifer Almasy stepped down the stairs leading to the Timber's train station. His gunblade was securely hidden inside his white trenchcoat.

He glanced around, surprised at the sight of several galbadian soldiers patrolling the town's streets. The blond frowned.

_Security is tight as an Armadodo's ass. _

_Deling must be in town already... or maybe the plan failed and she's..._

Seifer shook his head trying to rid off those thoughts. He began walking through the quickly spreading crowd, trying to hear anything that could be of interest.

ooo ooo

The blonde woman stirred slightly as she felt someone shaking her lithe form. Her eyes finally focused and she could see a redhead man in front of her.

"Who...?" she started, but then remembering her reason for being here, she asked "Where is Seifer?!"

"I´m sorry, miss, but you´re the only passenger on board the train." The man replied. He shook his head and said "We arrived at Timber about 15 minutes ago and everyone has already gotten out. You should be glad I found you, otherwise you would surely be on your way back to Balamb."

Quistis sat up, her head pulsing painfully as she did. The ex-instructor was still a little dizzy due to Seifer´s Sleep spell and she brought a hand up to her temple, trying to settle herself.

"By the way, miss. I found this inside the drawer, i... is it yours?"

The blonde woman´s face turned up to regard the man in front of her. She smiled as soon as she recognized the items he was presenting her. "Yeah" she reached inside her pocket to retrieve her Garden´s ID as she saw the fearful look in the man's face. "I'm a SeeD and those are my weapons."

"Oh! I see." replied the man calmly as he handed Quistis her whip and what appeared to be a set of multicolored cristals. The blonde SeeD placed her hand above the latter and the man was shocked as the pretty jewels dissapeared, a multicolored light coursing through the woman´s arm and iluminating her form for a couple of seconds before dissapearing. Afterwards, Quistis took her whip and placed it at her hip.

"Thanks for everything" she said smiling to the man before turning around and exiting the cabin hurriedly.

ooo ooo

Rosie gazed outside the window as the Owl´s base made its way back to Timber. Her mind was playing the events to come: the TV Station, Seifer, the Sorceress... Rosie shuddered a little at the thought of how powerful the woman could be.

Even with her limited magic stores and a single GF, Rosie felt powerful enough to take on the world... no wonder that many sorceresses had that idea too. Their boundless magical energy made them virtually unbeatable...

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when a glass came into her field of view. She turned and was surprised to see it was Rinoa who was offering her something to drink.

The raven-haired SeeD took the glass slowly as she said "Thanks."

Rinoa nodded and turned to watch the green horizon. Her voice coming after a couple of silent minutes "I should have listened to you..."

Rosie didn´t reply, instead she took a sip of the orange juice Rinoa had brought her. "I´m sorry." Added the 'princess', looking at the SeeD straight to the eyes. "If it hadn´t been for all of you, that thing would have killed us." She said shaking her head a little at the terrible thought.

"Don´t worry." replied Rosie smiling slightly. "And..." her gaze drifted a little as she made herself speak the next words. "I´m sorry too." She looked at Rinoa´s face and continued "I shouldn´t have been so rude to you when we fist met."

_I was jealous... that you danced with him instead of me..._

_But you´re not even aware of that, you´re not the one to blame._

"It´s ok." replied the raven-haired girl smiling too. "I can be difficult sometimes."

"Just sometimes?" asked Rosie, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey!" Rinoa protested, placing her hands on her hips.

"Just kidding!" replied Rosie giggling slightly, but truthfully.

ooo ooo

"A guy dressed like a cadet... gathering information?" asked a red-cladded galbadian officer as he turned around to regard the soldier standing behind him.

"Yes, sir." The soldier replied as he nodded "He was asking around about the president´s stay and the broadcast he is about to make at the TV Station. He was very polite and kept adressing me as 'sir' ".

"I think I know who you´re reffering to! I saw him accompanied by 4 other teenagers that came here in the Balamb train that arrived this morning at 8."another galbadian soldier said thoughtfully. He saluted the galbadian officer and said "I´ll go interrogate every teenager in the area." before leaving hurriedly.

"Wait! Private, come back here! This are citizens... we can´t just..."

"How dare they try to kidnap the president!" said the first soldier interrupting his supperior. "I´m going to find them and throw their sad be-hinds in jail!!"

As the soldier passed quickly beside him, a blond man dressed in a white trenchcoat smiled and folded the newspaper he feigned to read as he got up. Taking his coffee, he sipped it as he calmly walked towards the TV Station.

ooo ooo

The Owl´s base entered undetected to Timber and stopped at the platform. Rinoa and the 4 SeeDs got out, Watts wishing them luck before the train pulled out quickly, before the Galbadians found them.

"The TV Station is this way." said Rinoa as she walked in front of the SeeDs.

Zell approached to Squall and, looking around, muttered "Lots of blues." The SeeD leader nodded as he counted 20 galbadian soldiers in his immediate range of vision.

"Let´s pass unoticed." He said loud enough so only his comrades could hear him. They nodded back and split into 2 groups. Rosie and Zell on the back, while the other 3 walked a couple of meters in front of them.

As they came into the central square, Rinoa cursed a little under her breath. She turned to look at Squall and said "The trains have stopped running! We could have took one here to reach the TV Station."

"What now?" asked Squall.

"I... I think there´s an alley in the east part of town, near Timber Maniacs..." replied Rinoa.

"What´s wrong?" asked Rosie as she and Zell came closer to them.

"The trains stopped running and we gotta find another way into the TV Station." said Selphie, looking around casually.

"We should head to Aphorora´s Pub." said Rosie.

Selphie frowned "This is no time to drink!"

"No, silly!" replied the raven-haired rolling her eyes. "There´s a back alley that leads straight to TV Station. It´s just behind the building of the Timber Maniacs magazine."

"How do you know?" asked Rinoa.

"Well.. I´m from Galbadia Garden. Used to come here all the time." lied Rosie shrugging a little.

"We should give it a try." said Squall nodding and starting his way.

ooo ooo

Quistis hurried down the alley.

She had jumped from the second floor of a nearby house, gaining some compliments from a pair of young children that gazed in awe at the experienced SeeD's abilities.

She was glad the people in Timber were friendly towards those who were against the Galbadian rule. Fortunately for her, the owner of the house, a very kind, mature woman, knew about Squall´s clients´s mission and was more than willing to cooperate with her. Quistis felt a little guilty that she had lied the woman about her true intentions on the TV Station, but she knew she had to stop Seifer before he made anything regretable...

... like killing the Galbadian president.

ooo ooo

"I´ve had enough of this city!"

A deep male's voice greeted the SeeDs and Rinoa as they stepped inside the local Pub. It was dark, lighted only by purple and green lights attached to the ceiling. A few patrons sat scattered among the place drinking quietly, some of them playing Triple Triad in the furthest tables.

Rosie sneered as a nearby man gave her and the other girls a dirty look. She only hoped the man didn´t try to get closer.

Squall frowned as he detected the back door. It was being blocked by a drunk man, the same whose loud voice had been the first thing they had heard upon entering the bar.

"I came from Dollet to have a good time and now... hic! Trains are no longer running... Can´t even stay at the hotel because its crowded with stupid soldiers...I´ve been harassed by galbadians and to top it all, they´ve stolen my precious cards!" the man blocking the door continued with his speech after having a huge sip of the green bottle he was holding "Those jerks, hic! Thinking they can take anything by force! Hell.. this town´s a good example!" he said, gaining a couple of 'Yeah' from the other costumers.

"What should we do?" asked Rinoa softly as she started to feel uncomfortable thanks to the persistance gaze from the nearby men.

"I´ll go talk to him." replied Squall as he motioned the others to stay where they were. As he walked towards the drunk, this decided to continue his monologue.

"Everything's messed up because the resistance tried to kidnap the president. Thanks to them, the trains have stopped...There's Galbadian soldiers all over the place...All because of them!!" he paused to have another sip of his drink, the other costumers didn´t reply this time. "Don't they understand I'm the one suffering from their reckless actions!? Stupid, boneheaded, good-for-nothing, resistance! You can just kiss my..."

"We need to go through." said Squall interrupting the cursing phase the drunk man was having.

The man chuckled slightly and said "Geez! And now I´m getting dizzed by some... punk?!" he spitted the last word as though it was poison and looked disdainfully at the towering brunet. "Hey, gimme another drink!" he yelled to the owner of the Pub.

Squall sighed and took out a card, handing it over to the drunk "Is this yours?"

His eyes widened at the sight of the Buel card the teen presented. The man took it amazed and blurted "... It is! Why do you have it?"

"Found it outside." replied Squall.

Two blue-cladded troopers that stood just outside Aphorora Pub, had attacked the teenagers as soon as they had spotted them, probably had received a description on them. Squall had killed one instantly with his gunblade, the other had been knocked out thanks to a Thunder spell cast by Rosie.

He may had misunderstood her look, but Squall was almost certain Rosie had felt sorry for the soldier he had slaughtered. Coming to think of it, he had never witnessed her attacking in a deadly way any human being.

Monsters, yes. But not humans...

His thoughts were interrupted when the man said "You serious?" Squall just nodded "Well, thanks, boy. You know, I´m feeling generous, so you can keep that card." He handed it to the SeeD who just took it and nodded again.

"Hey owner! I can´t stand up, could you help me?" the drunk yelled to a man at the right corner of the room. He moved and helped Squall get the drunk man out of the way.

The SeeD leader turned back to his comrades and nodded. They approached him, the 3 girls quite relieved they were finally leaving.

As Zell closed the door behind him, he could hear Selphie´s excited voice "Hey! An outdoor TV!" He turned around and looked at the top of the large building towering over them at the end of the alley.

The SeeDs moved down the alley and passed a rusted iron gate. Clearly that access to the TV Station was not very used. They climbed various stairs until they came just in front of the huge TV screen, which displayed weird red simbols.

"This is creepy... What is it?" asked Rinoa as she glanced at the screen´s content.

"This noise is broadcast over most of the frequencies." replied Squall, looking at the strange red simbols. "This is what jamms the radiowaves signal, guess the Galbadians have to do something about it before being able to broadcast over the air."

"Really? I was wondering about it myself." said Zell, his gaze still fixed on the screen.

A sudden noise of footsteps nearing them from the stairs, made the SeeDs turn around, their hands going straight to their weapons in case they needed them. When a familiar voice came to them, they relaxed a little.

"New info, sir!" yelled Watts as he halted in front of them. The teen panted heavily as he said "The.. the president is in the studio right now. S... Security´s too tight, no way you guys could go inside."

"So we can´t just rush in... We gotta come up with a plan now!" muttered Rinoa as she crossed her arms and took a couple of minutes to think on her next move. "When president leaves, then maybe the guards will be gone too? That´s when we´ll do OUR broadcast. It may not be as influential, but it´s better than nothing, right?" said the raven-haired girl looking at the SeeDs as though expecting their approval. "We don´t stand a chance if we take them head on, right?"

Squall was shocked at how lightly Rinoa took her decisions... or the mission itself. "Whatever." he replied "Don´t worry about us. We´ll fight your enemies based on your decision. That´s our duty."

Zell nodded, though he wasn´t exactly jumping at the idea of rushing inside a place roaming with galbadian soldiers. "You tell us to go, we go." He shrugged a little "Even if its a loosing battle."

"We´re SeeDs." added Selphie "We´re prepared for anything!"

Rosie remained silent and just looked at the city´s skyline.

Rinoa´s head shook slightly "How sad..."

_Sad?! _ Squall turned his attention to her, his frown deepening.

"Acting on my decision? That´s your duty?" she said as she looked straight to the SeeD leader´s face. "Oh, what an easily life it must be, just to follow orders..." There was something in her tone that definitively Squall didn´t like.

His voice became colder as he replied "Call it what you want. All we want is for you to achieve your goal using our help." His voice lowered as he crossed his arms and looked to his right side " I find it really hard to think you could do it, though..."

Rinoa had caught his slip and approached him a couple of paces as she yelled "What was that?! If you have something to say just do it!"

"Forget it." replied Squall as he looked at the enraged woman in front of him.

She shook her head and said "No, you started it. The least you can do is finish it... I order you to tell me!"

"Fine." Squall´s voice became even colder and with a hard edge Rosie hadn´t heard him use before. "How serious are you, really? The 3 of you plop down on the floor to discuss strategy just to come up with a completely informal plan on how to liberate a nation in 5 minutes. On top of that, you can't make a decision without our input! How do you think we feel, working for such an organisation? If you can call yourselves an organisation..."

Rinoa´s jaw set tightly, anger evident in her eyes as every word hit her like a bus. When Squall had finally finished his outburst, something even he was amazed of, Rinoa´s voice was heard again, her tone was cold but she lowered her voice almost to a whisper. "You know... maybe this was all a big mistake.. I thought everything would work out fine once SeeD came to help us. But, I guess it's not that easy." She shook her head slightly before continuing "You were all hired. It's not like you are one of us."

She seemed to be arguing with herself for a couple of seconds before she said "Um, let's see...We'll cancel the plan, and we'll disperse for now. We don't stand a chance if we take 'em head on, right?"

To everyone´s surprise, Rinoa turned around and started walking away. Suddenly, she halted, her back still facing them, though she turned her head slightly to regard them. Her voice became weak and the SeeDs could tell she was in the brink of tears as she said "So...you guys probably think this is all a game to us..." She turned around completely, her eyes glinting with her unfallen tears as she raised her voice, emotion evident in her tone "Well, it's not! We're serious...So serious...it hurts." With that, she turned around again and started running down the stairs, not even once looking back.

"We should follow her" said Selphie as she turned to look at her comrades.

Squall nodded, feeling a little guilty for his sudden outburst and the reaction it provoqued in Rinoa. He started walking, when suddenly the red characters in the screen were replaced by static.

"They´re starting!" said Selphie excitedly.

_Oh, no! We gotta get inside now!_ thought Rosie as she looked at the screen. But doing it meant almost certain death, with all the soldiers roaming around the place...

How could she help Seifer without risking Squall and her friends?


	27. Chapter 27 The Peace Ambassador

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 27: The Peace Ambassador**

By CelestialRage

The broadcast started. As the image cleared, a couple of crossed red flags served as background to a mahogany podium which proudly displayed the Galbadia emblem. Several technicians were finishing the last minute arrangements before clearing the space, giving the cue for the anouncer to come into the screen.

A blond man wearing a fine stripped suit walked towards the podium, tapping the microphone as soon as he was behind it. "Testing... 1... 2 ...testing... testing" he said into the microphone, his gaze fixed for a second at something offscreen, his demeanor changing instantly, excitement evident in his face and voice. "People of the world! Can you see me?! Can you hear me?! This is incredible! Ladies and gentlemen this is not a recording! It´s an actual broadcast over the air! It´s been seventeen years since an actual broadcast was possible..."

A shout from offscreen caught the anouncer´s attention, his demeanor changing instantly as his face blushed slightly. "Please, excuse me... I seem to have lost my composture." He cleared his throat slightly, his tone becoming more serious as the hymn of Galbadia started to play in the background "We would like to present you today a message from the lifelong President of Galbadia, Vinzer Deling!" He stepped aside as he gestured offscreen to his right side "Ladies and gentlemen, Vinzer Deling!"

As the anouncer left the screen, another man entered. Squall frowned remembering the battle with the imposter. There was no way the SeeDs could have distinguished him from the real President.

Deling placed himself behind the podium, he stood silent for a second seeming to analize an audience he couldn´t even see. Suddenly, his face lightened with a smile as he started his speech. "Greetings, people of the world. I´m Vinzer Deling, lifelong President of Galbadia. Today, I stand before you to make the following proposition." He paused dramatically and brought his hands up to his sides as he spoke again "We, the people of the world have the power to end all wars."

"See! See! It´s a peace proposal to the world! I knew it!" said Selphie excitedly as she shifted her gaze from the screen to her friends at her side.

Rosie and Squall just frowned. The first in knowledge of what was going to happen next, the second in repulsion at the politician's empty words.

"But..." Deling continued his speech, making Selphie's hopes vanish at the sound of that word "Unfortunatelly, there are some thrifling problems between Galbadia and other nations, differences that must be resolved before we could move into a peaceful era."

ooo ooo

"Sir, you can not pass..." the soldier´s throat was slit open as he tried to halt the blond teen dressed in white trenchcoat. The tropper´s corpse hit the floor hard, alerting 2 other guards.

ooo ooo

Deling paused, as there had been a shout and something falling somewhere offscreen. The President seemed to recover his composture at once as he continued his speech "I plan to convene with other nations' leaders immediately to resolve this problems. At this time, however, allow me to introduce the ambassador who will be my representative for the conference."

"Man, all this to introduce an ambassador?!" said Zell glancing at his leader.

Squall didn´t reply. He was curious. Who was this ambassador that Deling had decided to launch a war against Dollet just to get the Com Tower running in order to broadcast this event world wide?

Deling paused dramatically, obviously increasing the suspense, and therefore the audience's curiousity. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the President smiled "The ambassador is the Sorceress..." Another loud noise was heard offscreen, interrupting Deling as he was about to mention the new galbadian ambassador´s name.

Squall´s eyes widened in surprise as the term 'Sorceress' registred in his mind.

Thanks to his history lessons at Garden, he knew what an ambassador like that would mean... Galbadia was not aiming for peace, rather world domination through the fear a Sorceress would inflict in the hearts of those opposing her.

Esthar had been the perfect sample of that.

Sorceress Adel had ruled the country for many years with iron fist and terror as her best allies, even leading to a war between the western countries – especifically Galbadia – and Esthar almost 20 years ago. She was the cause of many atrocities and terrible destruction, until she dissapeared 17 years ago. None could pinpoint whether the Sorceress was still alive or had died at the hands of the rebellion leaders.

Squall´s train of thought was interrupted when a loud sound was heard... glass shattering and some shouts. He returned his attention to the screen just in time to see a white trenchcoat approach the paralized President Deling. Some galbadian soldiers tried to halt the intruder's advance, only to fall dead thanks to the sharp, black and silver weapon the teen was wielding.

"Seifer!" yelled Selphie, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked at the screen.

Suddenly, 2 soldiers ran from behind the tall blond and grabbed him, having lots of trouble to keep him still. Another blue-cladded tropper ran towards Seifer, but he kicked the incoming soldier, sending him against the camera, making the image rotate 90 degrees as the device fell to the floor. Seifer elbowed one of his captors, grabbing his head afterwards and hurling him over his shoulder to the nearest wall. Then the teen pulled his right arm to the front, along with the soldier still holding to it, and sent a powerful jab to the galbadian´s chin, knocking him down instantly.

His way now free, the blond rushed towards the President, who was cowering between the red flags near the podium. Seifer grabbed Deling from behind, placing Hyperion against the old man's throat. A couple of soldiers came onscreen, one of them holding a gun at the intruder, Seifer moved placing the President between him and the troopers. Suddenly, another blonde figure emerged, only this one was female and cladded in red.

"Intructor Trepe?!" exclaimed Zell.

"Stay back!" said Quistis as she placed herself between the galbadians and Seifer.

"Squall! What are we going to do?!" asked Zell, his gaze shifting from the screen to his squad leader.

"We have to go in!" replied Rosie, quickly moving pass Squall. He grabbed her arm, halting her advance and making her immediately turn to look at him.

"It´s not our bussiness. We´re here to help the Owls, nothing more." said the SeeD leader coldly as he gazed into Rosie´s eyes.

"But we can´t leave them!" replied the raven-haired SeeD, trying to break free from his firm grasp. Quistis voice could be heard in the background as she practically ordered the troopers to stay back unless they wanted Seifer doing something terrible.

"We´ll compromise the Owls´security and the mission if we rush in there!" snapped Squall angrily, his hands griping her shoulders firmly and holding Rosie still. "Look, we can´t work undercover if our faces appear in a worldwide transmition, ok?"

Just as the last word left his lips, Quistis's voice was heard again "Timber team, can you hear me?" The teens´ attention returned to the screen, Squall still holding onto Rosie as he turned his face towards the ex-instructor´s image. "Get over here right now! You HAVE permission, I need your help!"

"Squall?!" Zell said as he looked at their leader.

He seemed to be considering his options, his grip on her shoulders softened and the raven-haired got free. She turned around and started running towards the faccility, the other SeeDs hot on her heels.

A couple of minutes later, the 4 SeeDs entered the studio, finding laying galbadian corpses scattered everywhere on their way there. A tribute to Seifer´s passing through the faccility.

As soon as Rosie opened the door, she aimed at the cameras, a Thunder spell rendering them useless.

"Ok, we´re offline." she muttered, glancing at Squall.

Quistis was alerted by the spell, bringing her whip up in order to defend herself. As soon as she noticed the intruders were none others than the Timber squad she had called for, the blonde woman smiled slightly, approaching them between the rubble.

"We need to restrain him." Said the ex-instructor as she looked at Squall.

Selphie raised an eyebrow in confusion "Who? Seifer or Deling?"

"Both..." replied Quistis smirking a little. "We have to take Deling out of here as a hostage, it´s our only chance of escaping in one piece. His soldiers must be surrounding the place as we speak."

Squall´s cold gaze was fixed on Seifer as the blond cadet kept his gunblade pressed against the President´s throat, thus keeping the soldiers at bay. The SeeD shook his head, anger raising inside him.

_How can Seifer be so stupid?! _

_He could have ruined our whole mission and he´s put my team in danger again!_

"What do you think you´re doing?" asked Squall coldly, his gaze fixed in the blond behind the podium. His tone betrayed a little of his anger, though he had managed to contain himself from yelling his frustration.

"It´s obvious, ain´t it?" replied his self-proclaimed rival, a slight smirk on his face. He pressed Hyperion a little closer to the hostage's throat, gaining a whimper from Deling as he casually asked "What are you planning to do with this guy?"

"... Planning to do?" asked Squall confused, as Seifer´s statement had been completely unexpected.

"He knows Rinoa." whispered Rosie, standing near the brunet. When he turned to see her, she continued "She asked about him when I went to wake her up. Apparently, he was the one who introduced her to Cid the night of the Inaguration Ball."

_So he knows about the plan... That´s why he´s here... _ thought Squall frowning.

"Hi, Kid! Good to see ya, again." said Seifer, glancing at the raven-haired, a smirk coming to his lips as he added "Seems we´d be working together on this one."

She didn´t had the chance to reply, as Zell came closer and excitedly said "Oh, I get it. You´re Rinoa´s..."

"Shut the hell up, Chicken-Wuss!" yelled Seifer as he sent the martial artist a vicious glare. The blond only hoped Deling hadn´t heard her name...

Zell´s body went stiff at Seifer´s reply. He set his jaw tightly, trying to avoid making any other comments. This was not the time to fight the bastard.

"Why are both of you here?" asked Selphie quietly as she neared Quistis.

The ex-instructor shook her head "I came here chasing after Seifer, he broke out the disciplinary room, injuring many in the process..."

Zell´s anger rose even more, his whole body trembling in rage, and he couldn´t hold his tongue this time "YOU STUPID IDIOT!!" he yelled angrily, glaring at Seifer, who just seemed to ignore him.

"Zell..." called Squall as he turned his head just enough to see the martial artist out the corner of his eyes "... be quiet."

_The last thing I need is for you to start screaming and fighting with Seifer. _

_I have enough as it is._

"Now, all we need is to contain him..." said Quistis, but was suddenly interrupted by Zell´s loud voice as he smiled wickedly.

"Instructor, I know!" he exclaimed

Rosie turned around quickly towards the blond male SeeD, her eyes widening as she said "Shut up, before you blow our..."

But he wasn´t even listening to her and continued "You´re going to take this stupid idiot back to Garden, right?"

"NO!" Squall´s hand shot to the martial artist´s mouth, covering it, as he heard Zell mention the word 'Garden', but it was too late...

The galbadians knew where they came from.

Surprisingly enough, given his present situation, Deling chuckled slightly, Seifer´s gunblade still pressed dangerously against his throat. The SeeDs turned to see him, Zell´s insides burning with guilt as the President said "Well, well... I see you´re all from Garden, uh?"

"Nice going chicken-wuss." snarled Seifer, glaring at the martial artist. "You and your stupid big mouth!"

Deling continued to look calmly at the teens as he smiled confidently and said "Well, should anything happen to me, the entire Galbadian military will undoubtedly crush your precious Garden." He turned his head so he could see his captor´s face and calmly added "You can let go of me now."

Much to the President´s surprise, Seifer just smirked and replied "And lose my prize? I don´t think so." He stepped back, pulling Deling with him as he glanced at Quistis and Squall "Instructor and Mr. Leader will take care of this mess."

"Seifer, wait!" Rosie called him as she stepped towards them. Suddenly, all the Galbadian soldiers being kept at bay by the hostage situation rushed forward, their weapons ready to confront the SeeDs.

"Don´t let him get away!!" yelled Quistis to the raven-haired SeeD as she uncoiled her whip to attack an incoming trooper.

A couple of Fire spells courtesy of Selphie injured some soldiers, so Rosie could slip between their barricade and chase after the blond cadet and his hostage.

ooo ooo

"You´re done for! All of you!" yelled Deling as Seifer dragged him across the back part of the TV studio.

"We´ll see about that old man." replied the blond teen cockily as he pressed Hyperion closer to the president´s throat, the sharp blade opening a little gash in his skin. Deling´s painful shriek silenced for a second the battle sounds as the SeeDs tried to halt the Galbadian attack.

"Seifer! Seifer, wait!" Rosie´s voice came nearer.

The blond smiled a little and was about to reply to her call, when suddenly, he felt something was wrong. His warrior instincts snapped, his body stiffing ready to fight whatever was in the room with him and his hostage.

"Poor, poor boy..." a soft female voice echoed through the studio.

"Who´s there?! Show yourself!" demanded the blond cadet as he whirled around, his jade green eyes wandering through the chamber trying to pinpoint the voice´s source.

Seifer searched his mind for a powerful attack spell, one that could give him enough time to escape with Deling if his allies decided to attack him. Suddenly, he detected a faint movement from the wall across the room, a purple and pink mist forming before the solid structure melted and a figure stepped into the room.

A tall, slender woman attired in a dark purple dress that emphazised every curve of her body, moved graciously forward separating her back from the wall she had just emerged from. The dress covered her entire form, except for a considerable amount of cleavage, upper chest and neck. Around her shoulders was a thick, black layer of dark fur that reminded Seifer of Squall´s own jacket. Her hair was concealed inside a wierd-looking headdress, with a pair of longish, red horns emerging at the left side of it.

Seifer was unable to see her face, as it was covered by a crimson beak-like mask. A huge golden ornament adorned her back and a pair of white silk layers, somewhat resembling wings, complemented her regal and almost ethereal look.

The woman´s voice was heard again. "My poor boy..." she said as she extended a thin hand towards the blond teen, her unaturally large fingers – that mostly resembled claws – eliciting a slight shiver down Seifer's spine.

He knew who this woman was...

... the Galbadian ambassador.

The Sorceress..

He was about to cast the spell he had been preparing, when an odd feeling invaded his entire form. Seifer shook his head lightly, as his thoughts became confusing. It was as though someone was toying with his head, mixing his thoughts and preventing the blond teen from thinking straight, much less concentrating enough to cast even a single Scan spell.

"Stay away from me!" he commanded the odd woman in front of him as he tried to shake the confusion away.

"Seifer!" Rosie´s voice came somewhere behind him. He could hear her gasp as she halted her advance abruptly. No doubt the raven-haired SeeD had caught a sight of the Sorceress.

"Get out of here, Kid!" yelled Seifer as the Galbadian ambassador continued her advances, both physical and mental.

"Such a confused little boy..." she said, her tone becoming alluring to the blond teen, her mental assault more and more powerful as she made Seifer´s brain play scenes of his life, of what he had done and oddly, of what he could do...

"So, what are you going to do? Advance? Retreat?" she asked almost teasingly as his mind played all the possible ways he could choose... "You have to decide".

Seifer could hear Rosie's steps coming closer, the characteristic sound of a gun being unsheathed accompaning her advance.

"Stay back!" he ordered, both to the Sorceress assaulting him and the SeeD that came to his aid.

Reaper's trigger was squeezed.

The Sorceress raised a hand slightly, a protective barrier appearing in front of her, deflecting the massive-caliber bullet without effort.

"Seifer, don´t listen to her! She´s trying to corrupt your mind!" yelled Rosie as she cast a spell on the woman towering over them, the Fire energy disappearing as soon as it made contact with the barrier.

The raven-haired frowned, she knew there was no way in hell she could win this battle. But if she could only gain some time...

... maybe, just maybe, Seifer wouldn´t be on the wrong side.

ooo ooo

Squall heard Rosie´s gun going off.

His heart raced, as he brought his gunblade up to parry a galbadian soldier´s murderous intent. He call forth a Fire spell, catching the trooper squarely on the face.

As the SeeD leader was about to turn around, another wave of soldiers entered the forum, making his advance impossible without a battle.

ooo ooo

"GO! Get out of here!" Rosie yelled as she cast another Fire spell towards the Sorceress, whose barrier still stood unscathed despite the female SeeD's best efforts.

Suddenly - and with inhuman speed - the oddly-clad woman called forth a spell of her own. Neither Seifer nor Rosie had the chance to even see it as it was summoned.

"Rosie!" called the blond as he felt a surge of powerful magical energy behind him, just where the raven-haired SeeD was standing.

She brought her hands up to her chest, Reaper falling from her grasp as she dropped to her knees, purple and golden steam surrounding her body and concealing the young woman inside.

Seifer spun around to face the older woman, his body tensing as he still tried to shake the Sorceress's mind assault off. His eyes sent a vicious scowl to the now approaching woman as his hold on Hyperion hardened, ready to bring it up in his defense if needed be.

"The boy in you is telling you to come, while the man in you is telling you to back off." said the Sorceress calmly as she stepped down to where the blond was. A smile was evident in her tone as she said "You can´t make up your mind, can you? You don´t know the right answer."

Seifer risked another look behind him. Rosie was obviously in pain with her body completely paralyzed by the Sorceress's spell.

_Damn it! _

_Where´s Squall? Can´t believe he´s taking so long with those idiots!_

The woman in front of him laughed a little, catching Seifer´s attention immediately. The sound wasn´t wicked as he thought it might have been - coming from a Sorceress and all - instead, it was soft and almost musical. "You want help, don´t you? You want to be saved from this predicament." she said calmly, watching in delight as the blond´s jade eyes widened at her words.

"Shut up!" he yelled angrily, trying to cast a spell, but finding he was unable to, his mind reeling so fast, he had to get a hold of himself to avoid falling to his knees.

"Don´t be afraid to call for help. After all, you´re only a little boy." replied the Sorceress, her voice softening even more, acquiring almost a motherly tone. She had just reached Seifer, placing her left hand over his right shoulder.

He tried to shrug her off, but couldn´t even move. Her mental intrusion becoming even more powerful as she mantained the physical contact. "Stop... calling me... a boy..." he barely managed to utter, each word requiring a great effort from his part.

"You don´t want to be a boy anymore?" asked the Sorceress softly as she moved behind the blond man, her hand never leaving his shoulder.

"I´m NOT a boy!" yelled Seifer angrily.

"Seifer... " a weak voice called from behind him. He could feel the Sorceress halt, though the mental assault never ceased. The blond couldn´t move, but he knew whose voice that was. "... don´t... listen... corrupt... dreams..."

The Sorceress mental intrusion immediately became stronger, so much, Seifer brought his left hand to his temple, allowing Deling to escape and run for dear life.

Unable to do, hear or think anything else beside the woman´s commands, the blond teen ceased his struggles as she embraced his shoulders, her warm breath tickling his ear as her soft and alluring voice echoed through his brain.

"Come with me to a place of no return..." Images of a great army at his command invaded his brain. He, Seifer Almasy was the greatest warrior of all times. Remembered in the pages of history, his legend will be eternal as he was covered with power and glory.

He will be the Knight to the Sorceress.

Her wish will be his command. And together, they will set a new rule, an era of prosperity will begin. And all she needed was for him to give in to her...

To offer his soul in exchange for his dreams.

Unable to struggle anymore and tempted by the images playing for his mind´s eye, Seifer nodded, and opened his soul to the woman hugging him tenderly.

He could almost feel her smile as she said "... Bid farewell to your childhood."

ooo ooo

The 4 SeeDs rushed towards the backstage. A couple of Galbadian troopers trying to halt their advance, Squall's gunblade taking care of them quickly.

Selphie gasped in horror as she glanced at the crouching form a few meters in front of them. "Rosie!" she yelled, increasing her speed, the other SeeDs following her example.

As they entered the room, their attention was drawn to the wall opposite to them – or rather to the two standing forms beside it. A woman clad in a black dress with red mask and a blond teen in a white trenchcoat.

Seifer turned as he heard the approaching footsteps, his mouth sporting a strange, amused smile. He raised his gunblade, waving it slightly to the sides, greeting the approaching teens.

The SeeDs' hands dropped to their weapons, but never made it there.

A spell struck Squall, forcing the air out of his lungs as an incredibly bright flash blinded him. The magic effect was short-lived, as a couple of seconds later he regained his vision, only to find neither Seifer nor the woman were there.


	28. Chapter 28 Goodbye Timber

Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII...

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 28: Goodbye Timber**

By CelestialRage

_That spell was obviously a distraction._ thought Squall as his scanning of the room had been fruitless. There was no doubt, Seifer and the mysterious woman had vanished on thin air.

"Who was that?!" asked Selphie as she helped Rosie get on her feet. The raven-haired SeeD´s body still ached from the spell the oddly-cladded woman had cast on her.

"The Sorceress." replied Squall coldly.

"The Sorceress?! Then why did Seifer left with her?!" Selphie asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Because, he´s now her puppet." replied Rosie softly, her eyes settling on the floor at her feet. Squall turned to look at her, frowning a little at the sadness he detected in her voice. She must have felt his gaze, for her head lifted, her brown eyes locking with his azure ones as she said "I saw it..." she shook her head slightly, her tone lowering almost to a whisper as she said "I couldn´t stop..."

Rosie was interrupted by the sound of a door opening and slamming against a wall. The SeeDs unsheathed their weapons, ready to fight again.

"Hey!" came a familiar voice, just before Rinoa stepped into sight. She was armed now, carrying a round, proyectile-like weapon fastened to her left arm.

And she was not alone.

"Angelo!" called Rosie, the dog´s tail waving happily as the canine ran towards the raven-haired SeeD. "Hey, boy!" she said hugging Rinoa´s partner.

"What are you doing here?" asked Squall shifting his gaze from the kneeling Rosie to Rinoa..

"I saw the broadcast." the other raven-haired girl in the group said as she seemed to be scannning the room. When it was obvious she couldn´t find whatever she was looking for, she turned towards Squall and asked "Where is Seifer?"

The mood changed. The 5 SeeDs stood silently, Angelo's whines to get Rosie's attention back were the only sound in the room.

After what seemed ages to her, Squall finally spoke "We don´t know." His cold and short reply, made her heart tremble in fear for the blond man´s fate.

"He... he´ll be okay, right?" she asked in a shaky voice.

There was no time to reply her query as the sound of multiple footsteps could clearly be heard in the TV studio behind them. Squall motioned the SeeDs to move quietly towards the door Rinoa had emerged from.

The group found their way outside and for everyone´s relief, the walkway they had first used to enter the Station was still clear. As they quiclkly decended the stairs leading to the Aphorora Pub, a couple of Timber militia soldiers approached. Squall unsheathed Revolver, but stopped as Rinoa waved her hand and moved forwards so she could have a word with the men.

"Rinoa, glad to see you´re ok." said one of the soldiers "We heard your base was completely destroyed."

"Destroyed?!" asked Selphie "And everyone else?!"

To her surprise, Rinoa remained calm, even sporting a smile as she turn to look at the petite SeeD and said "Don´t worry about them, they´re good at escaping." Her gaze turned beside her, where her furry companion was. She pat the dog´s head lightly "I knew something had happened when I came into Angelo on the street. He would have never left the base otherwise."

One of the men turned to look at the Station behind the teens and said "You better hurry and go back to town, we´ll keep an eye out for ya."

Rinoa smiled and said "Thank you."

Squall took the lead again, the SeeDs following close as the Timber militia walked pass them.

"We´ll have to get away from Timber for a while." said Rinoa as she turned to look at the taller brunet "Is there some place safe where you can take me?"

He halted and frowned.

Of course the raven-haired girl was refering to a Garden when she said that, otherwise, Squall figured she could have made her way out of town towards Dollet – because Deling City was definitely out of question right now. However, the SeeD leader didn´t considered getting Rinoa into a Garden faccility a good thing either... not now that Vinzer Deling knew where his attackers came from.

Misunderstanding the brunet´s silence, Rinoa frowned and said in a cold and commanding voice "It´s an order. An order from your client, remember?"

Annoyed by the 'princess' tone, Squall shrugged and muttered "Alright."

Apparently satisfied with his answer, Rinoa turned around and continued her way through the alley. Rosie frowned as she walked beside Selphie, the brunette SeeD noticing her friend´s murderous scowl towards the other raven-haired girl in the group.

As the teenagers stepped into the Pub, a loud female voice was heard above the country-style music playing in the background.

"Rinoa! Oh, dear! I´m so glad you´re ok!"

The SeeDs turned in time to watch as a heavy-set woman around her 40´s, made her way towards the raven-haired girl. Rinoa smiled at the newcomer and accepted the rather strong embrace the elder woman gave her.

"Yeah, thanks for your concern, Chief."

The older woman shook her head lightly, her eyes full of concern as she said "I heard your base is in serious trouble! Did you manage to get the others out of there?"

Rinoa nodded "Don´t worry, they´re fine." She frowned and said "Molly, do you know if the trains are still down? We gotta get out of Timber."

The woman looked at her in the eyes and shook her head slightly "There´s no way out of town for the time being. After the attack on Deling, the Galbadian force in Timber has been reinforced and are keeping strict vigil over the roads." At the sight of the concerned look on the SeeD´s faces, the woman smiled "But don´t worry, you guys can come to my place and hide until things settle down a bit."

"Really?" asked Selphie.

Molly smiled wider and nodded.

"Thanks, Chief." said Rinoa warmily.

"No problem. Come, my house is over here." replied the older woman as she led the teens out of the building.

ooo ooo

45 minutes had passed since the SeeDs and their client entered the Chief´s house, the same one Quistis had been an hour ago. As the teens entered, the blonde ex-instructor was greeted by the woman's kids who remembered the awesome way Quistis had jumped out of the second floor window, leading to Aphorora´s Pub back alley.

Squall had positioned himself near one of the first floor windows leading to the now almost empty street. The SeeD's siluete was barely visible from the outside, giving Squall a vantage position to view over the Galbadian´s activities. Rosie, Selphie, Quistis and Rinoa were sitting at the kitchen's table, chatting and preparing something to eat. Angelo was resting below the same table, its occasional whines the only clue of its whereabouts as the tablecloth kept it out of sight. As for Zell, he was sitting on the bottom staircase, his head was between his hands as he rested his elbows on his knees.

Rosie finished preparing a couple of sandwiches and walked towards Squall, offering the SeeD leader one. He took it, nodding his thanks and resuming his vigil on the street. She smiled a little and turned towards the martial artist.

"Here." She said as she kneeled before the blond SeeD. "You need to eat, Zell." He didn´t move, so Rosie placed the plate next to him.

A second later, and to the martial artist's surprise, a couple of thin, warm arms surrounded him. "Everything's going to be just fine." Rosie's voice whispered in his ear. "Nothing's going to happen to Garden, ok?"

When Zell didn´t move, the raven-haired broke the embrace and said "Everyone makes mistakes, but either you keep blaming yourself for them, or do something about them." Her voice was just loud enough for him to listen.

Seeing no change in the martial artist behaviour, Rosie got up and turned towards the kitchen, leaving the blond SeeD alone with his thoughts.

ooo ooo

"I still don´t get it." muttered Selphie as she chopped some onions, her eyes watering a little at the vegetable's scent. "What did Seifer come here for? It just seems... well ... odd."

"I think I had to do with that..." replied Rinoa. The other women turned to look at the raven-haired girl as she closed the water faucet and left the plate she had recently cleaned on the table. "He came to help us, the Forest Owls..."

"So, you´re _her_..." muttered unaudibly Quistis as her mind recalled her last conversation with the blond cadet inside the disciplinary room and fit in the missing pieces in Seifer´s mad behaviour.

"I talked about this proyect a lot with him." said Rinoa, her face blushed a little. "He said he´d help me out, that´s why I went to the SeeD party the other day. Seifer introduced me to Cid and gave me the chance to talk with him personally, since all my previous request were for naught." She turned to look at the other girls and said "And then... he came all the way here to help us... Please, don´t think badly of him."

Rosie was about to reply, when suddenly, Squall turned towards them.

"Upstairs, quick!" he commanded, his voice loud enough for them to listen. The girls nodded and, as they were making their way quietly towards the stairway, a loud knock was heard in the front door.

"Hey, anybody in here?!" a male voice called.

Molly entered the room and motioned the teens to hurry up, as she partially opened the door and shouted "What is this?!" her tone was rather angry and made several soldiers take a couple of steps back in surprise at the impossing woman´s voice. "I have two small children in here, so you better don´t do anything to frighten them!"

"I - I´m sorry ma'am, but we need to..." the soldier was interrupted by the Chief´s enraged voice again.

"You need what? It´s my kid´s nap time and I had a LOT of trouble getting them to sleep!"

"Yes, but..." the soldier´s tone got louder, but Molly overpowered him again.

"AND on top of that, I haven´t slept in the last 48 hours, have an alcoholic husband and lots of bills to pay! And now I´m surely going to have to get my kids to bed again because a bunch of mean soldiers came to MY house and made an incredible ruckus!"

"Hide inside that room!" whispered the Chief´s older daughter as the SeeDs walked as quietly and quickly as possible on the second floor.

"Will she be ok?" asked Rinoa worriedly, her eyes returning to the stairs leading to the first floor where Molly´s angry voice was still audible.

The girl nodded and smiled "She´ll be fine. Legend goes that my mother took down many soldiers with her strenght, cooking and beauty."

"That beauty part sure make it sound like a legend." replied Selphie quietly, gaining a brief and light chuckle from Rosie.

ooo ooo

"I´m SO tired..." sighed the tiny brunette as she dropped onto the small, single bed.

The SeeDs and Rinoa were hidding inside the small kids´ bedroom. But even the bright yellow walls and inocent atmosphere attached to the place weren't able to soothe the teens´ troubled minds. Zell was plopped on the furthest corner of the room, the blond SeeD remained silent and kept evading his comrades´ gazes.

Rinoa sat next to Selphie on the bed, while Quistis paced around impatiently. Rosie stood near Squall and gazed outside the window at the huge TV Station building, her mind replaying the last hour's events. She felt a pang of guilt at her inability to keep Seifer away from the Sorceress´s control and at the fact that maybe, she wouldn´t have another chance...

As though she had been able to read the raven-haired SeeD´s thoughts, Rinoa muttered "... Wonder if he´s alright..."

Rosie turned to look at the other raven-haired girl in the group and felt guitly again. Quistis's voice was heard, she had stopped her pacing and looked at the Owl´s leader with empathy.

"He was so angry when he found out that only 4 rookie SeeDs were dispatched. He made a whole scene in the detention center, cursing and shouting he was going to come to Timber at any cost..." She sighed and said "I never thought he was serious."

Squall eyed the blonde woman and frowned.

_That guy is always serious._

_Can´t believe Quistis hasn´t learned that in all these years..._

Feeling his stare, the ex-instructor turned towards Squall and asked "What do you think? What will happen to Seifer?"

He shrugged "He may already be dead."

"How can you be so casual?!" asked angrily Rinoa, shock evident in her face and voice. Her scowl softened suddenly, as her stare turned to the floor beneath her feet. "I feel... sorry for him. I hope he´s ok..." the last part was barely audible, her voice faltering.

_Feel sorry?_ thought Squall, remembering the way his rival always stood strong. Even when badly injured, Seifer held his stance proudly. He hated to look weak in front of the others and would rather die than to be pitied by someone.

The corner of Squall´s mouth came up, forming a slight, almost nonexistent smirk as he let out a slight snort at the raven-haired´s words.

_Seifer would hate to hear that._

"What´s so funny?!" Rinoa´s tone became angrier as she stood up from the mattress, startling Selphie and even gaining Zell´s gaze. "You´re terrible!"

"Rinoa! Keep your voice down, will you?!" hissed Rosie angrily, scowling at the other raven-haired girl.

The 'princess' frown never ceased, but she did lowered her voice as she looked at Squall and asked "So... why do you think Seifer may already be dead?"

The brunet folded his arms and returned her gaze. "Because... Seifer attacked Deling. It´s not surprise he had been killed because of it. And now that the Sorceress has joined the President, the chances have increased."

"Even so!" Rinoa´s reply was passionate, her tone a little louder as she said "I still hope he´s alive."

Squall turned his head to the side, his arms still crossed over his chest. He didn´t give a damn about Rinoa´s hopes. If she didn´t want to face the reality, then it would hit her tenfold once she finally realized the cold, hard truth. "As long as you don´t get your hopes up, you can take anything... you´ll feel less pain" he muttered, mostly to himself. Then, the SeeD leader turned his head and locked his icy gaze with hers as he sharply said "Anyway, whatever wish you have is not of my business."

Rinoa´s face was a mixture between pain, anger and shock. Her jaw trembled slightly as she finally found her voice "You´re mean!" she hissed angrily before shouting "MEANIE!" The raven-haired girl turned away from the SeeD leader and strode towards the opossite side of the room.

_What´s with her?_ Squall was amazed by Rinoa´s outburst, enhaced by her childish choice of insults. "Sorry." he muttered quietly.

Suddenly, the room´s door opened and the SeeDs quickly unsheathed their weapons, getting ready to fight the intruder.

"I – I... came to tell you the Galbadians are finally leaving." said Molly as she raised her arms slightly, surprised by the unfriendly welcoming the teens had given her. The red, laser sight pointing directly to her chest was making her especially nervous "But if you guys want to stay, I have no problem."

"Sorry about that, Chief." said Rosie as she sheathed Reaper and smiled apologetically at their hostess.

"C´mon, if you´re leaving town, now´s your chance." replied Molly, leading the teens back to the kitchen "Only the normal units are patrolling now, though the trains aren´t running normally. The only line available is the one going to Dollet. Balamb and Deling City´s are blocked, of course, and the one to the Desert District is undergoing some repairs." She placed herself next to the stove and continued with her cooking as she casually asked "So, what´s your plan?"

"We have to get out of here, anyway we can." replied Squall thoughtfully as he stared out of the window.

"That´s only the first step." said Quistis, gaining looks from the teens.

"What do you mean?" asked the brunet frowning.

The ex-instructor smiled and shrugged "Garden Code, article 8, line 7."

_Article 8, line 7... in the event that reporting to the assignated Garden is not possible, report to the nearest Garden._

Squall nodded and said "Report to the nearest Garden."

"Very good!" replied Quistis, smiling wider. "And from here it would be Galbadia Garden, right Rosie?" she said as she turned to look at the raven-haired SeeD.

Rosie´s heart gave a sommersault as the others' gazes settled on her. "Yeah, that´s right." muttered the raven-haired, her tone barely audible as her mind raced.

_Uh- oh! What am I going to do now? _

_I told them I´m from Galbadia Garden... but I haven´t even planned anything to sustain my lie once we get there..._

"And how do we get there?" asked Squall.

"We have to take the train bound for Dollet and get off at the East Academy station. After that we have to cross a small forest and walk through the plateau." replied Rosie.

Quistis nodded "Yeah, it´s almost a half day's trip from the station to Galbadia Garden."

"Yeah, more or less." said Rosie, feigning to know how many time they´d have to travel.

"We gotta move, then." said Squall as he checked there were no galbadian soldiers near. "At any cost, we have to make it to that train."

ooo ooo

"It´s me sir!" shrieked the galbadian soldier as Squall´s gunblade was inches away from his face.

Revolver had halted thanks to Rosie´s intervention, when she had grabbed the SeeD leader´s arm preventing him from injuring Watts. The young boy was attired in a Galbadian uniform and had approached the SeeDs from behind, startling them as they had obviously confused him with one of the troopers patrolling the city.

"I´m sorry, sir!" said Watts apologetically as Squall sheathed his gunblade. "I had to disguise like this in order to get some more info. And it was worth it!" continued the teen, his tone becoming excited.

"What do you have for us, Watts?" asked Rinoa.

"Seems Timber station is shutting down temporarily." replied the teen.

"Bummer!" said Selphie "How are we supposed to get out of here now?"

"We can still walk all the way to the East Academy Station." replied Rosie. "We just have to follow the tracks."

"Not necessarily." said Watts smiling "Seems the only train they´re going to let out before shutting down is precisely the one bound for Dollet and East Academy."

"We´re getting on that train." said Squall.

"You´re going too, right Rinoa?" asked Watts as he turned to face the raven-haired girl.

She nodded "What about you, Watts? It´s not safe to stay here..."

"Don´t worry about me!" he interrupted her. Smiling he added "I´m going to collect more info. I´ll put up the fight of my life!" Suddenly, his demeanor changed as he turned towards Squall and in a more serious tone he said "Please, take care of Rinoa."

The SeeD leader just nodded.

"Well, ´till we meet again!" said Watts as he saluted the SeeDs. All of them returned the salute, Rinoa trying her best to imitate her companion´s actions. The male Owl smiled at her again before turning around and running away.

"C´mon, we better hurry." said Rosie as she placed her hand on Rinoa´s shoulder "He´ll be fine, you´ll see."

Rinoa nodded and smiled but didn´t reply.

ooo ooo

Rosie, Quistis and Squall led the group towards the southern part of the city, where the trains bound for Dollet were. The SeeDs and Rinoa were walking through the street leading to Aphorora´s Pub when an old man suddenly cut them off.

"Squall! Rinoa! It´s me, Zone." said the man in a low voice.

"Zone! What... what happened to you?!" asked Rinoa as she approached her friend, an amused and slightly shocked look on her face.

"Don´t start with me, Rinoa!" he replied, readjusting the big, fake moustache on his upper lip. "I´ve got some news for you. There´s only one train running..."

"We know that." interrupted Quistis.

Zone looked at her and smiling replied "Well, what you probably don´t know, pretty lady, is that all the tickets are sold out."

"Oh, MEGA Bummer!!" complained Selphe.

"We´ll do whatever it takes to get on that train." said Squall folding his arms. "Even if we have to fight our way in."

"You won´t have to..." replied Zone smirking as he moved his hand to the inside of his jacket ".. because, lookie here ! I´ve got tickets for all of us." He said smiling as he waved some small papers in front of the teens.

"Cool!" squealed Selphie, who was more than excited because she was going to get on a train again.

Zone moved towards Rinoa and Squall, handing the latter 4 tickets for the other SeeDs in his team. "And the last one is for me..." he said, but halted as his eyes laid on Quistis. Zone walked to the blonde woman in front of him, took her hand and placed his ticket on it. "Take it." he said glancing into her blue eyes.

"But I- I can´t take that! It´s yours." replied Quistis, shaking her head as she tried to return the ticket to its first owner, but the young Owl had already taken a couple of paces away from her.

"No, you take it." he said, his right hand going to his stomach as he felt a little nauseous again. "The train is about to leave and you should hurry."

"Thank you" replied Quistis smiling warmly at him. He returned the gesture and nodded.

"Zone, take care, ok?" said Rinoa as she approached her friend, giving him a hug, which the male Owl broke quickly. "We´ll see each other again, ok? We still have to free Timber together, so you can´t die on me now." said Rinoa as she looked directly into Zone´s eyes.

"I know, I know." replied the teen, holding the raven-haired girl´s shoulders. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and said "You better get going, now." then, Zone looked at Squall and said "And you! If anything happens to her, I´ll kill you."

The brunet would have rolled his eyes, but was startled by the sudden whistle of the train. "C´mon! We gotta hurry!" he commanded his team, leading them to the platform.

ooo ooo

The SeeDs barely made it to the train as one of the station staff was closing the door. As they were getting inside, Squall took a minute to check on his team. Selphie had gone straight to the door leading to the private compartments, where the SeeD´s cabin always were located. Zell stood as far as he could from the rest of them, his gaze fixed on the window, though Squall doubted the martial artist´s mind was settled on the passing buildings. Quistis stood near a wall by Angelo and Rinoa, who looked very anxious and kept her eyes on the train's door almost expecting it to open and reveal an entire Galbadian garrison.

Rosie was standing next to him, her gaze settled on the floor as she bit her lower lip, a gesture he had seen her do when she was really worried. Like the time they had taken Selphie to the infirmary after the T-Rexaur´s attack in the Training Center.

"We´ll..." Squall started to say, gaining his comrades stares. But was suddenly interrupted by Selphie´s impatient voice.

"Open, Open, OPEN!" the tiny SeeD was jumping excitedly in front of the door, her tone getting louder each time.

"... make it." finished Squall as the brunette girl halted her excitement a little.

Selphie turned towards her team leader, noticing he hadn´t moved at her request. "Please! Open up!" she almost begged as she looked at Squall with her best puppy eyes.

He raised an eyebrow slightly, gaining a brief chuckle from Rosie, who had been watching both SeeDs actions. Deciding it was best to let Selphie have her way, unless he wanted the tiny SeeD pouting the entire time, Squall walked towards the security scanner near the door to the private compartments and slidded one of their tickets in order to open it.

As in Balamb´s train, a loud beep was heard, followed by an electronic voice "ID checking... Access granted."

Selphie turned to look at Squall and smiling widely said "Tee-hee! Thanks a lot!" before she quickly disappeared behind the door.

"Weren´t you just saying something?" asked Rinoa as she looked at the brunet, who was retrieving the ticket from the scanner.

He shrugged "It´s nothing." The purpose of his comment had already been accomplished.

"Can´t believe we made it!" said Quistis. She turned to look at Rinoa and added "I have to thank Zone for that. Do you know something that might interest him?"

The raven-haired girl giggled and replied "He´s into naughty magazines."

Rosie and Quistis giggled too. The blonde SeeD bowing a little in laughter as she replied "I´ll keep that in mind."

ooo ooo

After a couple of hours, which the SeeDs and their client used to rest and eat, the train finally made it to the East Academy station. The teens got off quickly, as most of their belongings had been destroyed along with the Owl´s base and they didn´t have luggage to be concerned about. They had to be extra careful in their trip through the woods, as their healing items and - in Rosie and Squall´s case – ammunition were limited. The SeeDs had split the rest of the items, so each one could keep a good reserve just in case they needed it.

As they exited the station, Rosie and Quistis took the lead, the raven haired mostly so she could keep her facade a little longer. "The forest is that way." said Rosie pointing towards a couple of far-looking mountain peaks, between them lied their goal.

Quistis nodded and added "We better be careful, there are Thrustaevis around this area. The forest is a couple of hours walk from here."

The SeeDs started their way, their weapons up and ready in case the native fauna decided to prey on them.

"You must be happy." said Selphie as she came close to Rosie.

"Huh? Why?" asked the raven-haired SeeD, turning her attention from her surroundings to the brunette girl at her right.

"Well, duh!" said Selphie, rolling her eyes. "You´re going to see your friends in Galbadia Garden again!"

"Ah... Y-yeah!" replied Rosie, trying to disguise the anxiety in her voice while feigning a smile. "I can´t wait..." she muttered.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note:_

_Tun-tun-tun! (dramatic music)_

_What will happen next?! Discover it in our next chapter! :D_

_And again, thanks to all the reviewers!! :D_

_See ya soon!_


	29. Chapter 29 The Man with the Machinegun

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII..._

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 29: Man with the machine gun**

By CelestialRage

Quistis´s eyes shinned briefly before releasing a powerful laser attack towards the monster in front of her. The rooster-like creature let out a painful shriek as the blonde SeeD´s attack rendered its body´s left side useless.

The cockatrice fell to the floor, its head turning towards it attacker as its eyes shinned maliciously, ready to petrify the blonde woman.

A gunshot was heard, followed by a couple of Fire spells which effectively finished the monster´s intent along with its life.

Selphie rested her left hand on her hip as she placed her gigant nunkachus in the strap on her back. "It´s the fifth cockatrice we encounter so far. Guess it´s not that bad."

"It could be worse, that´s for sure." replied Rosie as she reloaded Reaper´s barrel, her ammunition stores growing thin. _At least my magic resources are cool. _Thanks to numerous battles, the SeeDs had been able to store more powerful and different magic, strenghtening their junctions and thus, their attack and defense power.

"We´re not too far from Galbadia Garden now." said Quistis as she looked around, finding the trail they´d been following for the last 4 hours. "Just another 2 or 3 hours across the plateau and we´ll be there."

"Well, that´s a relief!" said Rinoa sarcastically, plopping on a fallen tree, Angelo laying near her. "Think we can have a break? I´m exhausted" she said looking towards Squall.

He nodded "Five minutes."

"Well, it´s better than nothing..." muttered Rinoa under her breath. She had been in a terrible mood since their little expedition from East Academy started, and the forest´s heat along with the fast pace Squall had imposed them did little to brighten her up.

Selphie dropped tiredly to the floor, the tiny SeeD´s gaze fixed on the thick trees´ tops above their heads. "Heey, I was just thinking..." started the brunette, but was interrupted by a giggle at her right.

"Well, now that´s some news!" said Rosie still giggling.

"That was not nice!" replied Selphie in mock anger, placing her hands on her hips and frowning at her friend.

Rosie smiled "Sorry, Selph. Go ahead.".

The brunette´s demeanor suddenly changed, her stare turning from her friend´s face to the forest´s floor. "Well... we´re just entering Galbadian territory, right? What if... what if we get caught and then broadcast all over the world?"

Everyone was surprised as Zell – who had been pacing anxiously – suddenly snapped "Whatever happens, happens!" The martial artist´s tone was angry, and almost commanding as he said "Now let´s just keep going!"

Quistis´s voice was heard "Zell, calm down, ok?"

The martial artist seemed to have noticed his earlier rudeness and changed his tone "I´m... I´m just worried about Balamb Garden." His pose changed too, his legs buckling a little as he hung his head in shame "If anything happens to Garden... it´s all my fault... I´m the one who said where we were from..." His stare turned to Squall as he asked "Do you think the Presiden will retaliate on Garden?"

The SeeD leader shrugged and replied "Maybe." His answer was truthfull, though it did little to soothe Zell´s mind.

The martial artist grabbed Squall´s arms and said "B-B-But we have a whole bunch of SeeDs at Balamb Garden! They wouldn´t lose to the Galbadian army, would they?!"

"It depends on how strong the army is." The brunet replied honestly.

Zell let go of his leader´s jacket and hung his head again, his voice barely above a whisper as he said "... I know but..."

"Squall, can I talk to you?" Rosie had stood up, grabbing the SeeD´s arm as she led him away from the others without waiting for a reply.

When they were a couple of meters from the place their comrades rested at, Rosie turned around to look at the brunet, a frown forming on her face as she let go of him and folded her arms in annoyance.

"What the hell do you think you´re doing?!" she asked angrily. She had seen the whole scene numerous times before and she completely agreed with Rinoa.

The leader´s role implied not only to watch over your comrade´s physical well-being. Their feelings and morale also were important. Besides, Rosie had developed feelings for everyone in the group and, although Selphie was still her best friend, she considered the others not far from that.

"What?" asked Squall, a little surprised by her sudden behaviour.

Rosie sighed a little exasperated at his dumb question and said "Look, I know your answers were the bitter truth, ok? But you should have thought for a second about Zell´s state of mind!"

Squall frowned "What´s THAT supposed to mean?" he asked angrily.

_First Rinoa, now Rosie... this is just not my day._

"What I say is you should have considered Zell´s feelings on the subject!" replied Rosie. She felt strange telling off Squall, it was something she thought wouldn´t happen soon, but his behaviour towards the martial artist had really pissed her off. As the SeeD leader opened his mouth to reply, Rosie continued not allowing him to say anything until she was finished "I know he screwed up, ok? But we all make mistakes and Zell needed your support..."

"And what am I supposed to do?!" he interrupted her, getting angrier by the minute "Lie to him just to soothe his mind? Tell him everything´s going to be alright as I give him a hug?"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" she asked raising her voice. The silence in the background indicating her, the other teens were listening intently to their conversation. "I´m just saying... " her tone changed suddenly, concern evident in her voice "...Squall?!"

He had grabbed his head. His vision blurred, Rosie´s face becoming a haze as his eyelids started dropping.

_What the...?!_

"Squall!!" Rosie´s cry had alerted the others, Zell bolting towards them, helping the raven-haired SeeD to support their leader´s weight as he had fainted.

"Oh, Hyne!" Rinoa yelled.

The blond turned and ran towards the SeeDs' client only to find her trying to shake awake an unconscious Selphie. Quistis laid a meter from them, sound asleep as well.

"What´s going on?!" yelled Rinoa as she frantically looked at Zell.

The martial artist checked Quistis´s vital signs before sighing in relief. He frowned and turned to look at the frightened raven-haired girl. "I don´t really know... but I think they went to that dream world..."

ooo ooo

Squall opened his eyes and found himself staring at a canyon far below his position. There was a large crystal-like structure inside it. His head turned from the natural view before him to a folded piece of paper he held in his right hand.

_Damn! Not again..._

Laguna looked confused at the map, scratching the back of his head as he turned his gaze again at the canyon. There was no way a huge structure like that wasn´t mentioned in the Galbadian maps... He could hear heavy footsteps behind him as his bulky comrade approached.

Ward came from behind some bushes and had a look around. His deep voice echoing a little as he turned his head slightly to regard the third member of their party "Kiros, you sure this is the place?"

The dark-skinned man approached graciously and nodded as he said "Possitive. The reports of Estharian activity were originated from here."

"Good, ´cause I don´t want to be patrolling the wrong place like last time." replied Ward smirking as he directed his gaze to Laguna, who was still verifying the map between his hands.

The black-haired man turned around, a shy look on his face as he said "Ahh... sorry guys. This ain´t the place."

"No, this is it." said Kiros as he nodded again. "I checked it twice, just in case..." he smirked slightly as he said the last part. Then, noticing Laguna´s blushing face he chuckled and said "Let´s go, Commander."

Laguna looked at the map in his hands and then turned his gaze again at the canyon below.

_So I brought the wrong map? _

_But I was sure I had it right this time..._

The Galbadian soldier folded the paper and placed it inside his rear pockets. Looking back at the crystalline structure, a frown formed on his face "I don´t know why, but I´ve a bad feeling about this..." He couldn´t believe someone could have missed marking in a recognisance map the shiny structure below them. "There´s something fishy going on here! You know what old folks say, the unfamiliar always happens..."

Kiros turned to look at his friend and crossing his arms said "Don´t you mean 'unexpected'?"

Ward chuckled and added "Yeah, I think he does. You only got the 'un' part right, my man!"

"Aaah, shut up!" muttered Laguna indignately. "Stop your clamorin' and make sure your gear is ready. We're movin' in!"

ooo ooo

"It´s getting dark." said Rinoa as she looked around the trees surrounding them. "It´s been almost an hour since they passed out! What are we going to do? We can´t stay here any longer!"

The three remaining teenagers were sitting near their unconscious comrades. Zell had carried Squall to the place Selphie and Quistis laid, so the SeeD leader wasn´t far from them. At Rinoa´s request, the two SeeDs had explained the previous experience on their trip to Timber.

"We could move them if we use Float spells, right?" suggested Rosie, looking at the martial artist sitting at her left.

He shook his head "I don´t think we´ve enough spells to carry the three of them all the way to G.Garden. Besides..." he said looking around "we could be attacked and the kind of magical manipulation necessary to guide them would require a lot of concentration... we'd be helpless."

"So? What do we do?" asked Rinoa anxiously.

"Wait." replied calmly Zell.

"Just that?!" snapped Rinoa "Look, I don´t want to be here when night falls!"

"Oh, and we do!" replied Rosie angrily, as she scowled at the other raven-haired girl. "Stop whining, ok?! It´s not making matters any easier!" she stood up and folded her arms over her chest.

"Hey! Calm down, both of you, ok?" said Zell as he turned his gaze from one girl to the other. "We have to stick together or we won´t get out of this!"

"You´re right, Zell..." replied Rosie softly. She sighed and turned to look at Rinoa "I´m sorry."

"Me too." said the other raven-haired girl. She shook her head lightly as she muttered "It´s just... everything seemed to go wrong today. First the abduction, then Seifer and now this!"

"Yeah, I know." replied Zell smiling a little "It hasn´t been one of my tops days either."

ooo ooo

"But seriously... this place sure is strange..." said Laguna as he and his friends walked through the entrance of the crystalline structure. There were small rails that ran inside the east part of the odd building. Heavy machinery was set at the right, where some kind of excavation was going on. "What the heck is this big pile of rocks? You think this are natural rocks used for carving tombstones?"

Kiros halted his advance, turning his head slowly to look at the man at his left "Who knows ... or cares?" he replied, still shocked by his friend´s random comentary, especially in a situation like this.

"Speaking of strange..." said Ward as he looked around, his big harpoon in his equally big right hand "Don´t you think there should be some guards patrolling the area? For the look of it, the Estharians have put a lot of resources in this... well, whatever this is."

"Yeah, where is everybody?" asked Kiros, unsheathing hs katals slowly.

"Maybe they´re out for lunch." replied Laguna as he moved towards the excavating machines. He gazed at the crystalline wall near them, bringing his hand up and touching it slightly. "Man, this is weird!" he said as an electric pulse ran through his hand all the way to his shoulder. _It feels almost like a heartbeat._ "Maybe this is some Centra technology?" he asked more to himself.

"If that´s so, then we should report it to central command." said Kiros "Who knows what this thing could do? It may be some kind of weapon!"

"Yeah, we can´t afford to..." said Ward as he turned around, then his voice changed as he yelled "Laguna! Watch out!"

The black-haired soldier had been busy looking at the gleaming crystal wall, so he didn´t notice a couple of Estharian soldiers who had appeared just beyond a metallic door. One of them casting a Fire spell, catching Laguna on the chest and hurling him a couple of meters away. Kiros had quickly cast a Cure spell on his friend, so the black-haired soldier was already on his feet.

"Looks we´ve got company at last!" said Laguna, as he brought up his machinegun. He gave a look over at the men infront of him and sneered "Can´t believe the Estharians still wear those flashy uniforms!"

The Estharian soldiers were wearing a tight white full-body suit, with purple and yellow armor in their chests, shoulders, arms, thighs and calves. The texture seemed latex-like, but the Galbadians knew better. Years ago, Esthar had developed a way to make Adamantine – a very rare and tough metal – maluable, making possible to implement its use not only in new weapons, but also in new tougher suits for their soldiers.

Laguna aimed his weapon at one of the soldiers´ head.

"Ah... Laguna!" Ward´s voice called him from behind.

"Don´t be such a weanie! They´re only 2 – " he replied turning his head, when suddenly he noticed his friend´s anxiety "What the...?" 3 more Estharians had approached from behind the Galbadians, their weird-looking weapons up and ready.

"Any ideas?" asked Ward as he pressed his back against his comrades´.

Laguna´s gaze wandered through the chamber frantically looking for an escape route. He noticed some heavy-looking boxes hanging from a crane´s hook, just above the now approaching Estharian soldiers. The black-haired man smiled and said "Actually... yes!" he released a Firaga spell, the hellish blazes enveloping the hook´s rope, burning it and releasing its burden, which crushed the Estharians, giving the 3 Galbadians the chance to run for dear life.

"Wasn´t our mission just to patrol?" asked Kiros as he and Ward followed Laguna through a small corridor leading just inside the crystalline structure.

"Why does it always have to turn out like this?!" asked the bulky man cringing a little as he clearly heard a bullet passing near his left ear.

"Seriously! I wasn´t expecting this at all!" replied Laguna as they arrived to what appeared to be the main room of the building. "There are some ladders to the right!" he yelled as he ran towards them, but halted suddenly, making Kiros bump into him. He could see a white and purple helmet climbing the ladder.

"There are more of them!" said Laguna as he motioned his friends to go back.

"There´s another ladder!" yelled Ward running towards the further corner of the room. Kiros and Laguna hot on his heels, the latter shooting at the Estharians, trying to halt their advance.

ooo ooo

"I think this should do." said Rosie gazing at the barricade she and the other 2 teens had made.

It was almost 10:00 pm and neither Squall nor the girls had given any signs of stirring. The three remaining teens had decided to camp and had discussed the best means of keeping the forest's inhabitants at edge. Zell and Rosie had come up with a way of creating a thick electrical fence using their magical stores. Casting several Blizzards, which they had to manipulate in order to make the boulders have a certain density and height, the SeeDs were able to create a wall. The problem of electricity had been solved when Rosie summoned Quetzalcoatl, the GF´s physical form shifting to pure energy as he positioned himself over the frozen wall, his energy coursing through it and promising certain death at whatever creature that dared approach his summoner´s resting place.

"We better keep watch." said Zell as he turned towards the two raven-haired girls. "I´ll go first, you should get some sleep."

ooo ooo

The three Galbadians were still running for their lives inside the crystalline structure. After having escaped from the first soldiers wave, Laguna and his comrades found themselves deep within the strange building.

"What the heck is this?" asked Laguna as he moved cautiously towards a small platinum box just in the middle of the corridor they were at. The Galbadian soldier kneeled to inspect the gadget "Red and blue switches... and two fuses..."

"A detonator, you know?" said Kiros as he looked around. "Laguna, we don´t have time for this. If the Estharians find us..."

But the black-haired man wasn´t even listening to his friend. He continued his inspection on his finding as he muttered "Oh, I get it! The short blue fuse is for that boulder..." his gaze drifted to a crystal mound near where Ward was standing. "And the large red one is for the one further down..." He stood up and turned towards his friends "Guys, we can block the passage using the boulders!"

"Hey, man...! Are you crazy?!" replied Ward, his eyes wide with surprise "You don´t even know how powerful the damn thing is!"

"Ahh! I bet it´s not all that!" said Laguna cooly, dismissing his bulky friend´s comment with a wave of his hand "Besides, the detonator is right here. As long as we stay behind it, we should be fine, right?"

"Well... I guess..." replied Ward, though he sounded not that convinced.

Laguna nodded and crouched again. "Well, let´s see... which one shall I press first?" The Galbadian soldier pressed the red switch and said "Don´t worry, the bomb blast won´t reach us here." Suddenly, a huge explotion could be heard, the crystalline floor shuddered both from the blast and for the huge boulder´s weight as it moved towards the passage the Galbadians had come from. "W-W-What the...?!" yelled Laguna as he nearly lost his footing due to the quake.

As the echoes from the explotion died down, Kiros crossed his arms and said "That was... awfully loud. Those Estharians are using serious power to build up their bombs!"

Ward took a quick look towards the corridor the huge boulder had rolled in, watching all the destruction it had provoqued. "Yeah, lucky we were here."

"See, that´s what I was telling you guys before." said Laguna as he turned to his friends "You should always check how powerful the thing could be."

At this, Ward crossed his arms too, a smirk on his face as he said "Wasn´t that... me, who said that?"

"Um... Ahh... Hmmm... Anyway, we´re still alive, right?!" replied Laguna nervously as he scratched the back of his head and deviate his gaze from the now smiling bulky man.

Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps could be heard. "There they are!" came a male voice "Don´t let them escape!"

"Shit!" Laguna said as he listened to the approaching Estharian men. No doubtly, they were around 20... _What to do?! We can´t fight them all by ourselves!_ His gaze drifted to the detonator, the blue switch for the nearest boulder was still available. Laguna crouched again, activating the blue switch. He turned to his friends and yelled "It´s gonna blow! Run for it!!"

The three Galbadians ran in the opossite direction, finding some stairs at the end of the corridor. They scrambled their way up and continued running a long treck, halting when they heard the echoing sound of the boulder rolling down, along with the shrieks from the Estharian soldiers as it chased them through the corridor.

"That was... awfully quiet." commented Kiros.

"Yeah, I was expecting another huge blast." said Ward.

Laguna smiled and said "See! I told you it wasn´t that powerful!"

The other 2 soldiers turned rolled their eyes at their friend´s comment and then resumed their walking. The Galbadians advanced through a narrow catwalk and found another set of stairs, leading to a huge chamber. In the far end of the room, they could see the entrance to another tunnel.

"This place is huge!" whined Laguna as he took a step into the chamber "I never want to see another shiny object in my life again!" said the black-haired man as he looked at the crystalline walls surrounding them.

Ward´s voice was heard "Am... AUGH!"

The two soldiers turned around at the sound of their friend´s cry. The bulky man was flying towards a nearby wall, his massive harpoon lied on the floor a couple of meters away. There was a strange purple sphere with 4 golden arms crouched in the place Ward had been standing mere seconds before. The sphere rotated, and directed its attention towards the other 2 Galbadians. Its legs planted firmly on the floor as the Esharian machine took impulse and flied a couple of meters in the air.

Laguna brought his machinegun up, shooting an entire round of bullets to the mechanical monster, while Kiros cast a Cure spell on the fallen Ward. However, Laguna´s attack did little damage to the machine, as its armored body was hardly pierced by the Galbadian´s bullets.

Ward was on his feet again, the bulky man retrieved his harpoon and took aim at the mechanical sphere. He threw his weapon with all his might, the sharp tip piercing the purple core. The machine´s mechanical legs went ballistic, moving like an octopus´s tentacles while the core shinned briefly.

The Galbadians thought they had wrecked the Estharian weapon, however its core released a powerful beam towards Ward. Laguna quickly cast a Protect spell on his friend, while Kiros focused and cast a Thundara on the purple sphere.

The machine collapsed and fell to the floor, its legs inmovile as the core darkened.

"Phew!" sighed Laguna relieved. "What the hell was that thing?!"

Kiros moved cautiously towards the machine, finding a golden plaque in the sphere´s base, just where the "legs" joined. "Estharian weapon No. 2345, Elastoid." The dark-skinned man read aloud.

"Elastoid, uh?" muttered Ward as he yanked his harpoon off the machine´s core. The bulky man was still amazed he was able to pierce the sphere´s armor, even when Laguna´s high caliber bullets did almost no damage to it.

"Well, we better move." said Laguna reloading his weapon. "Don´t want its friends to join the party!"

The 3 Galbadians resumed their way quickly, finding another corridor with a detour to the right and a flight of stairs ahead. As they swiftly approached, Laguna´s nose detected the smell of the salty sea. He turned towards the stairs and guided his comrades up. As they neared the top, the black-haired man´s eyes were hit by the sunshine coming from the exit above.

"We did it! Woohoo! We´re finally out!" yelled Laguna happily as he ran the remaining distance to the exit. He raised his arms, basking in the summer sun´s warmth, which was a blessing after the coldness of the crystal building behind them.

"Damn it!" Kiros curse at his back, made Laguna turn around quickly to see a couple of soldiers coming towards them. However, the black-haired man noticed something odd about the newcomers, the way the moved was way too fast for any normal person.

Ward attacked the nearest one, but the Estharian just avoided his fist and grabbed the bulky man, hurling him down the stairs as though he wasn´t heavier than a feather. Laguna and Kiros moved, the first one sending a Blizzara spell towards his friend´s attacker, while the second one unsheathed his katals and lunged for the other Estharian.

Ward recovered, and drew his harpoon. The bulky Galbadian was about to go to his friend´s aid when suddenly a group of soldiers came running from the corridor´s detour. Ward directed his attention to them, letting Laguna and Kiros take care of the other soldiers at the top.

Kiros slashed the air once, his second hit ripping the man´s arm. But instead of blood, electricity came from the open wound.

"They´re cyborgs!" yelled Kiros, his eyes wide in surprise as he avoided the Estharian weapon´s punch. Its hand pierced the crystalline wall, receiving a powerful electric discharge, sending the machine flying a couple of meters away.

Laguna shot the cyborg, several bullets piercing its armor, though the machine didn´t stop its advance. It lunged for the man with the machinegun, barely missing his head as it slashed the air with it´s ax-like weapon. Laguna sent a Thundara towards the machine, making it lose its footing and colapse backwards.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Ward was having difficulties dealing with the Estharian soldiers that came coming wave after wave, making his efforts almost meaningless. Exhausted, the bulky man kept fighting, though his injuries increased with every passing minute.

Laguna kept firing the cyborg as it laid on the floor, its body shaking with the sheer force of the bullet blasts. Finally, the Galbadian reached the machine´s core, its armor completely pierced by the black-haired man´s onslaught. Laguna focused, sending a Thundaga towards the cyborg´s main circuits, causing it to quiver as the powerful jolt coursed through its whole body. Finally the machine fell limp, thin columns of smoke leaving its charred body.

Kiros´s katals continued slashing the Estharian weapon´s body, tearing off its tough armor. Suddenly, a cry downstairs made him halt, a shiver coursing down his spine at the thought of his friend in peril. Kiros turned, Laguna was already in motion descending the stairs towards their comrade. As he was about to move, the dark-skinned man felt something sharp piercing his left side, just below his ribs...

Laguna cast a couple of Protect spells on Ward as he threw a grenade, the explotion hurling the remaining Estharians against the narrow corridor´s walls. The man with the machine gun reached his badly injured friend. He looked around and was surprised to see at least 30 Estharian corpses around Ward, the bulky man had fought with every nerve of his body. "C´mon, man. Kiros´s waiting for us... We´re going home." He said as he took Ward´s arm, placing it around his shoulders as he guided his friend upstairs.

When the two galbadians were finally up, they found Kiros laying beside the now useless cyborg. The dark-skinned man held his left side, as he cast a curative spell on his deep wound. Fortunately, the cyborg´s axe hadn´t damaged any major organs, but the gash it had opened in Kiros´s flesh was big and the Galbadian soldier had lost many blood, rendering him exhausted.

With Laguna´s help, Ward and Kiros were able to make it to the exit. Laguna left them resting against the building´s exterior wall as he ventured further down, finding they were not at ground level, but in a 10 meter high cliff. Deep down, he could see deep blue shining waters.

"Look, guys... the ocean! We´re saved!" said Laguna happily as he turned to his friends. "Lady Luck is on our side. We can escape to Galbadia!!"

Kiros´s reply, however was not as cheerful as he had expected "One would say we´ve been run down... That´s what they´d normally say..."

"Don´t say that." Laguna´s tone had changed, getting serious all of a sudden. He crossed his arms as he stared at his dark-skinned friend "It might come true. Didn´t your grandmother ever tell you that?"

"... If you say something bad, it might come true..." muttered Kiros tiredly. He smiled a little as he said "Yeah, I think she did..."

Their conversation was interrupted by a deep growl coming from Ward "Gggghhh...rhhh"

Laguna approached the bulky man, raising an eyebrow as he asked confused "What´d you say?"

Kiros demeanor changed, sadness was evident in his eyes and voice as he turned to look at Ward and said "His throat... I think he... lost his voice..."

"It... was... fu... you..." whispered Ward slowly.

Laguna crouched near his friend as he softly said "Say again?"

Ward gulped with effort, his damaged throat causing him great pain. "It . . . was . . . fun . . . you . . . guys . . . ." the bulky man gulped again before continuing " La . . . guna . . . Kir . . . os . . . It was . . . fun . . . ." his voice faltered, making the last part almost inaudible as his eyes closed slowly, his head falling to his right side.

"Ward, that´s way uncool, man!" said Laguna anxiously as he leaned towards his friend "It´s not cool to say things like that! Just for that you´re getting the Cuchi-cuchi treatment!" he said as he took the bulky man´s vitals. Laguna sighed relieved as he realized his friend had only passed out. He turned to look at Kiros and nodded in reasurement. "He saved this time, but wait ´till he wakes up!" added the black-haired man, gaining a tired but truthful chuckle from his comrade.

Laguna´s eyes wandered from his friend´s face to the waters below. Suddenly, the galbadian soldier stood up, he had seen something moving in the water. "WHOAA!! A boat! We´re getting on!" He said happily. It wasn´t probable that the approaching vehicle was Estharian, it looked more like a fishing vessel.

_Maybe from FH, it´s not far away from this part of Centra._

Laguna turned to his friends and said "The only problem is to get down there."

He took Ward´s arm and casting another Protect on him, hurled the bulky man to the waters below. Laguna turned to Kiros and repeated the process. He leaned on the cliff´s edge, watching as his friends floated nearly undamaged thanks to the spell he had cast on them, the boat was approaching as apparently they had spotted the loud splashing the Galbadians had made.

"You guys, sure have guts." yelled Laguna smiling "Do you know how high this cliff is?" he asked as he turned around. The Galbadian was about to cast the Protect spell on him, when he lost his footing, barely grabbing from the cliff´s edge. "Oh, sh...!" he said, as he hung 10 meters above the cold water. He sighed at his good luck and was about to climb up, when suddenly the rock he was gripping on broke. "No way...!" yelled the Galbadian soldier as he fell again.

"AHHHHHH!!"

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note: _

_Hey again! Sorry for the lateness (hope that word actually exists...) but day-to-day activities kept me away from the computer for a while. Anyway, I´m back again. __Hope you like this chapter and thanks for the great reviews you wrote while I was away! I´ll reply to them as soon as I can, promise :D._

_Love ya! _

_Keep reading and reviewing please!_


	30. Chapter 30 Changes

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 30: Changes**

By CelestialRage

Squall didn´t fell the impact his – Laguna´s – body made as he plunged to the cold ocean waters below. The SeeD´s vision was blurred once more as darkness overcame him.

An insect´s buzzing sound stirred him and the SeeD leader opened his eyes slightly, to find himself laying next to Quistis on the forest´s floor. He pushed himself up, resting his weight on his elbow as he looked around for the rest of his comrades.

Selphie slept at his right. Rinoa and Zell laid a couple of feet away from them, both sound asleep. Rosie sat on the floor against a fallen tree, the same the SeeDs´ client was occuping just before he passed out. Her legs were against her chest, her arms resting on her knees and her chin craddled between them. Apparently, the raven-haired SeeD had been on guard duty.

However, her eyes were closed as she was completely asleep.

Squall stood, shaking his head slightly to fight off the drowsiness still lingering on him. His boot crushed a small branch, the sound jolting Rosie awake.

"Squall!!" she yelled happily as she stood up quickly and ran towards him. Rosie´s soft arms closed around his neck, taking him completely offguard.

The SeeD stood frozen for a couple of seconds, still in shock at the girl´s exuberance. He broke the embrace quickly, frowning a little. She noticed his expression and bit her lower lip, as her eyes gazed down to the floor.

"I-I´m sorry!" she muttered nervously, her face adquiring a deep blush she tried to hide. "I am so happy you´re awake... I didn´t thought..." her voice cracked and was replaced by Zell´s voice.

"Squall! Glad you´re finally awake!" the martial artist smiled as he helped Rinoa get to her feet. Rosie´s cry had obviously awakened them.

The SeeD leader nodded a little, his mind still confused with the last minute's events. To his right, Quistis and Selphie began to stir too.

"Was it Laguna again?" asked Zell.

"Yeah, Sir Laguna in BIG trouble!" replied Selphie as Rosie helped her to her feet. She turned to look at her friend and said "I hope he´s ok..."

The raven-haired SeeD smiled warmly and said "Don´t worry, Selph. I´m sure he is safe."

"Doesn´t seem like it´s the first time for you all." said Quistis as she took Zell´s offered hand and stood up "What is this? The dream I had was so vivid! And it seems we dreamt the same..."

"We still don´t know." replied Rosie shaking her head a little.

_If it were just me, I could tell the rest it´s only a crazy dream..._ thought Squall, whose mind had focused on the problem at hand. Finding no solution to the puzzle the dreams formed, the SeeD leader shook his head and said "We should get going. There´s no way we could figure this out now, we´ll just waste our time."

Quistis looked at her watch. It was 9:00 a.m. "What? How many time were we sleeping?"

"Around 10 hours." replied Rinoa. "We had to camp here for the night. But Zell and Rosie came up with a way to make an electrical fence to protect us from the monsters."

Selphie´s eyes widened as she noticed for the first time the icy wall surrounding them. "You guys did this?! WOW!" she said "Tough magical manipulation. And how did you managed to keep the course of electricity?"

"That was Rosie´s idea." said Zell smiling. "She used her GF."

"What reminds me..." muttered Rosie as she approached the fence, her hand coming close to the barricade as her mind called back the powerful entity still protecting their camp. The energy flow focused in her fingertips, the electricity sending shivers through her spine as Quetzalcoatl returned to his summoner´s mind.

"It was quite a good idea." said Quistis smiling. "Thanks to both of you."

Squall neared the barrier and call forth a Fire spell, opening a passage in the thick icy layer. "Let´s go." He ordered the group as he motioned to the forest on the other side. The SeeDs started moving, Rosie falling behind on purpose to get the chance to talk to the brunet without the others listening.

She turned around to meet his eyes and said "Squall.. about what happened yesterday..."

His frown deepened a little, remembering the argument they had just before he and the others had passed out. "I´m really not in the mood to carry on with it..." he said, but she interrupted him.

"No! That´s not it!" she replied exhasperated "Will you just listen to me for a second?!" She paused a little, and when he said nothing, the raven-haired SeeD continued, her voice becoming softer "I just wanted to say... I´m sorry. I shouldn´t have lost my temper like that." She sighed a little and turned to look at him in the eyes. "I know you did what you felt was right, but... think about what I told you."

He kept his stare on hers for a minute before nodding slowly and saying "Ok." His tone was the same he had used in her room when he had helped her open the door. It wasn´t as cold as always, and that – Rosie knew - was a very good sign.

The raven-haired girl smiled warmly and nodded before resuming her walking. Having lifted that burden from her mind, Rosie focused in her approaching problem... Galbadia Garden.

ooo ooo

The teens made it out of the forest, a vast deserted plateau greeting them behind the last trees. Quistis uncoiled her whip and turned to the other SeeDs.

"There are monsters in here as well, so be prepared." She said before resuming her walk.

"What kind of monsters?" asked Rinoa as she readied her crossbow-like weapon.

"Belmehels and Blood Souls are the most numerous." replied Rosie remembering that part of the game. Her gaze wandered around them, the vast deserted ground surrounding them extended as far as she could see.

_Well, at least we would be able to spot them easier in this area than in the forest..._

The teens have been walking around an hour, Quistis and Squall in the lead, while Rosie and Zell were in the back. The heat increased as midday approached and despite the tiredness they all felt, Squall had ordered them to keep going. Rosie looked at the SeeD leader as he moved in the front of the group, wondering just how was he able to wear his heavy-looking jacket in those hellish conditions. Her mind suddenly recalled the first time she asked herself the same question during the Fire Cavern test. She sighed a little, wiping the little sweat in her forehead, hoping she had whatever junction he used to keep his body´s temperature normal despite the external conditions.

Finally, after another half an hour in which the SeeDs had a couple of encounters with the native fauna, a golden glowing circle came into view.

"We´re almost there." said Quistis smiling as she turned to the others.

As the SeeDs approached their goal, humming sounds could be heard in the distance, growing nearer with each step the teens walked. Another 20 minutes later, a gigant red structure was finally in front of them.

Galbadia Garden was even bigger than Balamb Garden. Not only its structure was wider, but also the grounds around it. Rosie could see various gardens surrounding the crimson building. The contrast the green trees and colorful flowers did against the dark and deserted grounds of the plateau was amazing. Galbadia Garden was an oasis, full of life and movement. Rosie looked up, the humming sound they have heard comming from not one, but three golden circles surrounding the crimson structure´s top, which resembled a cobra´s head. In fact, the entire structure resembled a coiled snake, while Balamb Garden resembled more a fish.

As they approached the main entrance, several flying devices came into view. The pilots were around the SeeD´s age, except for a man around his thirties, surely the instructor. They descended a couple of meters in front of the arriving group.

"WOW!" exclaimed Selphie looking at the devices the cadets were wearing. "What are those?!"

"PH´s." replied Quistis "Personal Hoverfoils used for either mainteinance or training purposes. They´re quite useful and revolutionary."

"Why don´t we have one of those in Balamb?" asked Zell, his eyes locked in the PH.

"Because, we don´t have the budget." replied Quistis shrugging. "You see, all the money that enters Balamb is thanks to SeeD missions, while Galbadia Garden gets some of their money from Deling´s goverment."

"What?! Then it´s not safe for us here!" said Rinoa anxiously, her eyes wide in surprise.

"Don´t worry, it´s not like you think." said the blonde calmly, turning to look at the raven-haired girl. "Galbadia Garden has a program to recruit Balamb graduates into the Galbadian army, so the goverment pays a strong amount of money for their services. But basically, Galbadia Garden remains with a neutral status. All 3 Gardens are independent entities, not even depending on each other... So we really are safer here than in Timber or even Dollet."

Rinoa frowned a little, the idea of going inside a building full of mercenaries that worked mostly for Deling didn´t appeal her.

"C´mon, I´m dying to see how big it´s from the inside!" chirped happily Selphie as she continued her walking. The other teens hot on her heels.

As they arrived to the entrance, the SeeDs were surprised to see that Galbadia Garden had not only one electronic entrance and exit, but quite a several, mostly due to the great number of students attending the institution.

"Wow!" exclaimed Selphie as she looked at the huge reception room, with the electronic gates aligned in perfect order. "...Completely different from Balamb and Trabia!"

"Yeah, sure is quiet here." Added Zell, a little taken a back by the silent corridor. Even when a great number of students were walking through the halls, the chatter was minimum and never raised above a whisper.

"...I like it." Squall said as he looked around. Rinoa giggled at his commentary, the silent atmosphere really suited him well.

"Yeah, I bet you do." replied Rosie smiling at the SeeD leader standing at her right.

"I´ll go see the Headmaster." said Quistis as she entered the building. "I know him quite well, so it better be me who explains our situation." She smiled and looked at Rosie "Meanwhile, you could show them around."

"Yeah! That would be great!" said Selphie excitedly, gaining some annoyed gazes from the passing students.

"... Sure... I guess." replied the raven-haired SeeD smiling shyly.

"Good. Well, see you later." said Quistis before turning around and quickly making her way into the building.

Once the ex-instructor had gone, the SeeDs´ attention turned to Rosie, whose mind was frantically trying to remember Galbadia Garden´s faccilities... all she could remember were the classrooms were in the first floor, the student´s dorms in the second and she guessed Martine´s office, just like Cid´s was in the third, but the building was so big it was unlikely that the Headmaster´s office was the only thing on that floor. She remembered a basketball courtyard in the back of the building, an icering to practice hokey somewhere inside the building´s first floor and the auditiorium in the second along with the waiting room just beside the elevator leading to Martine´s office.

"So... uhmm... shall we go?" asked Rosie nervously looking at her friends before starting walking, without waiting for any comments. The teens made their way through the main entrance, the ordinary cladded group attracting the gazes, and undoubtely the comments, of the passing cadets, all of them attired with the reglamentary Galbadia Garden grey and crimson uniform, making the newly arrived group stand out like a Chimera in a Cactuar´s field.

As they entered the central core of the building, the teens were amazed by the huge light column that formed as the sunshine entered through a circular dome placed at the top of the building. All around them were cadets moving towards the different rooms located in the Garden´s 3 levels, they could see the second and third floor walkways leading from their position to the other areas of the giant building.

Rosie turned towards her friends and said "Well, where shall we start? We can visit the basketball court on the back of the building, or maybe you´d like to see the icering? Galbadia Garden has an all-monster Hokey team." She was feigning to be familiar with the Garden´s faccilities and activities, hoping the other SeeDs wouldn´t notice her her internal panic.

"Monster hockey team?" asked Zell confused.

"Yeah, literally." replied Rosie smiling as she remembered that during her playing FF8, there was a part during disc2 where in order to pass Garden´s icering you had to fight those monsters.

"Cool! Let´s go!" said Selphie cheerfully.

As they walked towards the left part of the building, a uniformed man approached the teens. "I´m sorry, but visitors can´t be wandering around the Garden. I´ll escort you to the reception room."

"But we´re SeeDs from Balamb Garden!" protested Selphie. Then she pointed towards the raven-haired girl standing at her right and said "And Rosie is... well, was from this Garden."

The man´s attention focused on the raven-haired SeeD for a couple of seconds. She nodded and tried her best not to look nervous at the man´s inquisitive stare. "Then **you** should know that visitors are to be escorted to the reception room unless Headmaster Martine says otherwise."

Rosie´s heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to remain calm. "I´m sorry, sir. I was so happy to be back I..." her voice faltered a little, the raven-haired girl nodded and said "It was my fault."

Selphie was about to say something else, but Squall placed his hand on her shoulder, gaining the tiny brunette´s attention. He shook his head slightly, indicating her to remain quiet, then turned towards the man and said "We´re sorry for the intrusion. Please, lead the way."

The man turned around and started walking to the front part of the structure, the group following him close.

"Aww, bummer!" whispered Selphie as she walked beside Rosie. "I really, really wanted to explore this Garden!"

The raven-haired SeeD shrugged and said "Guess it can´t be helped..." _Thank God they´re so strict at this Garden or I would surely be in BIG trouble!!_ Although she looked sad, inwardly Rosie was celebrating her good luck.

"Guess I know now why you transfered to Balamb. This Garden´s atmosphere is so unlike you, Rosie." said Zell as he looked at the passing students and instructors.

"Why you say that?" asked the raven-haired girl smiling.

"Because it´s WAY too sober." replied the martial artist shaking his head slightly.

The SeeDs were conducted through a narrow walkway where a instructor was guarding three male students, who apparently had been caught speeding in the corridor. The three cadets were making pushups, and for the look on the instructor´s face, they were going to remain like that for a while. The uniformed man led the SeeDs up a stairway, and signaled a green richly-ornamented door when they were at the top.

"Please, wait here until you hear from the Master." He said as he opened the door for the teens.

The room was sober, but quite elegant. The huge window led to the left side of the Garden, the walkways from the second and third floors even more visible from this height. Two white, cozy-looking couches stood in the center of the room. There was a richly decorated gabinet near the door, which Rosie guessed contained alcohol for the guests, though none of the teens approached it. Selphie walked straight to the window, her gaze wandering through the corridors at the occuped cadets walking through them. Rinoa sat on the furthest couch, Angelo lying obediently on the carpeted floor at her feet. Zell sat on the other couch, the martial artist gaze lost in a fighting magazine laying on the central table. Rosie took a seat near Rinoa, while Squall walked to the furthest corner of the room and leaned against the wall, his eyes closed and arms crossed over his chest.

40 minutes later, the SeeDs´ positions had changed. Rosie was sitting on the floor playing with Angelo, while Rinoa rested her whole body on the couch they were previously sharing. The raven-haired girl was talking with Selphie who was immersed in a description of her plans for the incoming Garden Festival in Balamb. Zell paced angrily from one side to the other of the room, the martial artist had long since finished reading the interesting articles in the magazine. Squall had taken a seat near Selphie and watched dispassionately at the little game between Angelo and Rosie.

She felt his stare and turned to see him. Smiling, the raven-haired asked "You like dogs?"

Squall shrugged "Guess so. Never had one."

"Because of Garden´s rules, right?" she asked as she absently rubbed the canine´s belly.

He nodded and said "Seems you really like them."

She smiled widely and replied "Yeah, I had one when I was little. His name was Indiana, I named it after a movie character."

Squall frowned a little, the name was quite strange and he didn´t remembered hearing it before. "Which movie was it?"

Rosie noticed his expression, and mentally slapped her forehead at her stupidity.

_I really have to learn to keep my mouth shut! _

_I feel so comfortable with them that I forget we´re from entirely different worlds... _

"I don´t really remember the movie´s title, I was around 7 when I saw it." she said trying to sound convincing. She shrugged a little and said smiling "I just liked the main character´s name... thought it sounded cool."

Squall had no chance to reply, the door to the room opened suddenly as Quistis entered. The SeeDs stood as the blonde woman walked towards them.

"How´d it go?" asked Squall looking at the ex-instructor.

She shrugged a little and said "They understood our situation." Her gaze turned to Zell as she said "And... Balamb Garden is safe." The martial artist´s sigh of relief echoed through the room as he dropped on the nearest couch.

Quistis frowned a little as she spoke "The attack on the President in Timber was classified as an independent action. The goverment says that the terrorists were trying to blame Garden to cover their tracks. They sent an official notice yesterday´s afternoon, saying neither Balamb nor Galbadia or Trabia Gardens are being held responsible."

"So, it means Seifer is taking all the blame?" asked Zell frowning as he sat straight.

Quistis´s demeanor changed. Her head turned down, as she closed her eyes and said "The trial is already over... and the sentence has been carried out..."

The SeeDs were in shock.

Rinoa gasped, as the words struck her. Her knees went weak and she fell to the carpeted floor. "E-Executed?" she asked tentatively at Quistis, who just nodded slightly. "... Of course he was." said Rinoa sadly, as tears started streaming down her pale cheeks "He attacked the President... He...sacrified himself for us, the Forest Owls..." Her hands covered her face as she muttered "... for me..."

Quistis took a seat on the couch near Rinoa, her voice was sad as she said "You´re part of a resistance faction, right? You must have been prepared for the worst. I´m sure Seifer was, so don´t think about him sacrificing for you. He knew what the outcome would be as soon as he acted, but still he did it..."

When everyone remained silent, the blonde instructor sighed and said "I´m sorry. Guess that wasn´t much of a consolation."

Selphie´s head turned to see her friends, Zell´s sad face catching her attention immediately "But, Zell... I thought you really hated Seifer, didn´t you?" she asked astonished by the martial artist´s demeanor.

His face turned up, taken by surprise by Selphie´s question. "Yeah, but..." He shook his head as he calmly said "He was from Garden... he was one of us..." His fists clenched as he thought about Deling´s menace at the TV Station "If I can, I wanna get revenge! He didn´t deserved this!"

Rosie had remained silent, guilt eating her from inside as she looked at Rinoa´s tears.

_If only I had been stronger... Seifer would be here. _

_Next time they see him, he´ll be the Sorceress Knight, an enemy to Garden and SeeD... _

"I don´t have any good memories of him." said Quistis, closing her eyes recalling all the times she had told him off because of his behaviour. "I´ve seen some troubled children, but he was way beyond troubled." She shook her head slightly as she remenbered how he always made some smart-ass comment before answering her questions in class. Although the cadet´s discipline had always been an issue, Seifer was brillant. His notes were excellent, but his behaviour... "He wasn´t really a bad guy..." muttered Quistis sadly as her mind recalled more memories of the now gone SeeD cadet.

The teens remained silent for a couple of minutes, each one lost in the memories they held of the blond cadet.

Squall frowned.

He had never liked Seifer, though he had respected him... some. At least, more than he did the other cadets. Seifer was the only one who Squall considered a worthy opponent and now, he was just a memory...

Will the same happen to him if he were to fall in battle? And how would the others remember him?

Rinoa´s voice broke the silence. "I-I really liked him." Her tone was calm and sad, tears still streamed down her cheeks as she took a seat next to Quistis. "He was always full of confidence and so smart... Just by talking to him I felt I could take on the world." she said as she stared to nothing in particular.

"Your boyfriend?" asked Selphie.

Rinoa shook her head "I don´t really know." she replied honestly. Then sighed and said "I met him last summer, but what we shared was so magical... I- I think I was in love... I wonder how he felt?"

Rosie shook her head slightly and turned around, exiting the room. That part had always sickened her. How could Rinoa say she loved Seifer and then go straight to Squall´s arms? That was not love!

_You can´t just let go of something as precious and strong as love that easily. And if you´re not sure whether you love someone or not, better keep quiet so the others don´t think you´re some slut._

The raven-haired SeeD leaned against the stair´s railing, her heart pounding fast as she reflected on her feelings for Squall. _I don´t think I would stop feeling this for him even if a thousand years passed... How can she speak such empty words?_

A male voice downstairs caught her attention. "We´ve just delivered them to the Headmaster, ya know?"

Rosie walked towards the sound´s source, finding Seifer´s posse talking with the same uniformed man that had escorted the SeeDs to the reception room. "Raijin, Fujin!" she called, the two Disciplinary Committee members turning towards her.

"KID" said Fujin, calling the female SeeD as her blond friend used to.

"My name´s Rosie, although Seifer had difficulties processing that info." replied the raven-haired girl smiling a little.

"SQUALL?" asked the albino.

"He´s upstairs in the reception room." replied Rosie looking towards the top of the ladder. "I´ll bring him." She said before turning around and hurriedly climbing the stairs. She entered the room, her friends were still silent. The raven-haired was surprised to discover Squall had moved from his position and was now leaning against the furthest wall. She approached him slowly, as he seemed to be deep in thought

"Squall?" Rosie´s voice interrupted his troubled thoughts, making the SeeD leader open his eyes to regard her. "Fujin and Raijin are looking for you. They're waiting downstairs." she said.

Squall nodded and walked pass her, exiting the room without another word. Rosie turned to look at her friends, feeling a knot in her gut at the thought of what lied in store for all of them. Soon they´ll be facing the Sorceress...

Very soon...

ooo ooo

"Yo! Squall!" said Raijin smiling as he watched as the SeeD descended the stairs.

"What are you doing here?" asked Squall as soon as he met their level.

"What am I doin´? I´m a messenger, ya know!" replied the bronze man indignantely. "Brought you a new order from Headmaster Cid, ya know?"

"What kind of order?" asked Squall frowning.

_It must be some big deal if Cid sent someone to deliver it personally. _

_Normally this kind of stuff are sent and received with the Garden Network._

To his surprise, Raijin shrugged "I dunno. Gave it to the head honcho here... that Marty guy." When Squall´s frown deepened, the dark-skinned raised up his hands in defense as he said "Hey, just did what Cid wanted, ya know?"

"EXPLAIN." said Fujin as she looked at her bulky friend.

Raijin nodded and said "We were suppose´ta go to Timber, but when we got there we found the trains had stopped running, ya know? So, we had no choice but to come here. Kinda relieved to see you guys here, ya know?"

"So you were going to find us in Timber so **we **could bring the orders to Martine?" asked Squall.

"NEGATIVE." replied Fujin.

"The orders were for you, but when we arrived here, we were sent with Marty. We explained everything to him and he said that he had to check Cid´s orders because of some protocolary shit, ya know?" said Raijin.

Fujin frowned a little and asked "SEIFER?"

"Oh, yeah! Wasn´t Seifer with you?" asked Raijin suddenly remembering their primal reason for offering to deliver Cid´s orders to Squall´s team. "Fu says he was going to Timber to help ya out, ya know?"

Squall's frown softened a little as he said "I believe Seifer may be death. There was an incident in Timber... I heard he was tried in Galbadia and executed."

"LIES!" hissed Fujin, rage evident in her voice as her only eye stared viciously at Squall.

Raijin let out a loud chuckle "That´s bullshit! There´s no way he would have put up with a trial, ya know?! Or an execution for that matter. It´s just so not Seifer, ya know?!"

"FIND!" commanded Fujin as she turned towards the bronze-skinned man.

Raijin nodded "See ya, Squall. We´re gonna head off to find Seifer, ya know!" he said before he and the albino turned around and ran towards Garden´s main entrance.

Squall was about to follow them when he heard various footsteps descending the stairway behind him, and a feminine voice calling his name. The SeeD leader turned around to find his comrades walking towards him.

"Martine sent a message while you were out." said Quistis as she approached him "He wants us to wait for him in the front gate."

Squall nodded and remained silent, his gaze drifting to Rinoa for a second.

_What is going on? _

_Cid knows we are already on a mission with the Owls, yet he sent new orders... _

_Couldn´t he arrange another SeeD squad to tend to them? _

_And what is going to happen with Rinoa? We can´t leave her behind until we´ve accomplished our mission with the Owls but... whatever this is, I´m sure we can´t bring her with us._

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note: _

_Hey again! I´d been planning this chap for quite some time now and was looking for a plausible way to get Rosie out of trouble for a while. Setting Galbadia Garden´s strictness in a previous chapter (I think it was on 9 – talking about how students were expelled for wearing anything else than the reglamentary uniform) and on this one, making the Balamb SeeDs stand out from the rest of the population with their common attires and the students´ whispered conversations, I tried to portrait this Garden´s atmosphere more army-like and figured that like any military institution, visitors weren´t allowed to be wandering around without authorization._

_OH! And Rosie´s dog´s name is for Indiana Jones... but I think you already figured that out :D_

_Anyway, hope you liked it and remember all comments are welcome :D_


	31. Chapter 31 The Sharpshooter dilemma

Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII...

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 31: The sharpshooter dilemma**

By CelestialRage

"He´s pretty late." said Selphie sighing as she looked at Zell practicing some of the movements he had learned of in the fighting magazine he had been reading back at the reception room.

"He would be here any minute." replied Quistis, who was pacing a little.

"You said that 20 minutes ago." said Rinoa angrily, her patience had finally wore off. She heard Squall calling her and turned her gaze to the right, where the SeeD leader was standing.

"There could be complications with our mission." said Squall as he crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze locking with hers.

"What do you mean?" asked Rinoa confused, her head turning to the side slightly.

"Cid sent us new orders." He muttered. "I haven´t told the others, yet. You are our client, therefore you should be the first to know."

"And what would those new orders imply?" she asked frowning.

Squall shrugged "I still don´t know..."

Selphie´s voice interrupted their conversation "Look, here he comes!" The teens turned to the main entrance, a yellow Garden-issued car was slowly approaching them.

"We better pretend I´m a SeeD to avoid more complications." said Rinoa as she stood up from her resting place.

Squall nodded and said "Follow our moves."

The SeeDs lined up, as the Garden vehicle pulled over. The door opened and a tall, slender man descended from it. He was wearing a large, blue, old-fashioned coat that reminded Rosie of the ones used by the noblesmen.in the 19th century. His large, golden hair was tied up by a black lace in a ponytail, which swayed a little as he moved elegantly towards the teens.

The Headmaster stood in front of Squall, the 5 SeeDs inmediately saluting. Rinoa falled slightly behind them, as she tried to copy their movements exactly. Rosie smiled knowingly, she had done the same the first time.

The SeeDs stood at atention as the older man nodded a little and said "Good day." His voice had a very 'British' accent, increasing even more the image of a gentleman from the past centuries Rosie had of him.

"I have official orders from Headmaster Cid adressed to you." said Martine as he scanned the teens´ faces "Following Galbadia Garden´s protocol, I´ve gone over these orders. And after careful consideration of our options, I´ve agreed to fully assist and cooperate with Headmaster Cid Kramer in this mission." The Headmaster paced a little as he continued "As a matter of fact, we have been planning for this quite some time now. In order to stress the importance of the mission you´re about to accomplish, I must first brief you on the current situation." Martine turned to look at the teens, who were still standing at atention. "At ease." He ordered before stopping his pacing.

The SeeDs relaxed, curiousity gaining the best of them as Martine´s words definitely show that whatever mission they were going on to was big. None of the SeeDs knew of a previous mission that had required Balamb and Galbadia´s cooperation in order to be accomplished.

Martine´s voice became even more sober "You all know about the Sorceress being appointed as the peace ambassador for the Galbadian government." When the teens nodded, the Headmaster continued "However, this ambassador thing is just a cover up. There will be no peace talks, only threats. As you know, the Sorceress creates fear among people, her magical powers and abilities to read and shape the minds of those around her are legendary. Therefore, peace talks are impossible. Galbadia is planning to use this fear to negotiate favorable conditions for itself. It is clear that Deling's ultimate goal is world domination."

Squall´s frown deepened. He had been right about the reason Deling had to choose a Sorceress as his new 'peace' ambassador.

Oblivion to the SeeD´s thoughts, Martine continued "And worse yet, Garden is no exception, either. It is a fact that the Sorceress is planning to use this Garden as her

base."

The SeeDs´ eyes widdened as the news struck them. Garden, as Quistis had told Rinoa earlier, had always been neutral in world conflicts. Why was the Sorceress trying to bring them into battle?

The older man shook his head and said "...As you can see, we have very few options available to us. We can´t let Deling or his Sorceress start a new war, much less using Garden as one of their weapons." His right hand moved to the interior of his coat, producing a white envelope with Garden´s emblem on it. Martine moved towards Squall as he handed the SeeD leader the item and said "We entrust world peace, and the future to you. The details of the mission are enclosed in these official orders."

Squall saluted the Headmaster and opened the envelope. He gave the paper a quick check over and noticed a small complication. "It says by means of a sniper. I´m afraid we don´t have anyone with that skill..." _Unless..._ he turned to his left, where Rosie was standing. She noticed his stare and shook her head slightly.

"Don´t worry about it." said Martine smiling. "As part of our cooperation agreement with your Garden, we´ve displayed the best man we´ve got in that area. Let me introduce you to the elite sharpshooter from Galbadia Garden." He motioned to his left, where a distant figure was resting on an evergreen hill. "Irvine Kinneas!"

The resting figure´s hand went up, outstetching a finger and pretending he was shooting a passing butterrly. At the sound of his name, the teen stood up, his brown trenchcoat moving slightly as he turned around to face the other SeeDs. He smiled, adjusting his black cowboy hat and lifted a double-barreled shotgun, which he rested on his left shoulder as he walked towards the teens.

As he approached, the SeeDs could make more of him. He was taller than Squall (the tallest of the group) for almost one head. His long brown-reddish hair was tied in a ponytail that ran down the middle of his back. Beneath the heavy brown trenchcoat, he wore a violet vest that left most of his chest exposed, adorned only by a thin black and brown collar. His pants matched perfectly the color of his large coat, and his dark brown boots complemented his cowboyish attire.

The teen walked in front of the SeeDs, as though evaluating them. As he passed in front of Selphie, his smile widened a little as he gave her a wink. The tiny SeeD´s eyes widened in surprise as warmth spread through her cheeks.

"This is Irvine Kinneas." said Martine as the Galbadian student stood a couple of feet away from him "He´ll be your sharpshooter." The Headmaster turned to the SeeDs and nodded "Well, leave whenever you´re ready." his tone became solemn as he said "And remember that failure is not an option..." after this, the Garden Master turned around and returned to his vehicle.

As the car returned to the interior of the crimson building, Irvine pretended to shoot at it with an imaginary pistol, even adding the sound effects in the process. He sheathed his imaginary weapon in an equally imaginary holster and turned to the SeeDs smiling. "Looks I´m with you rubes from Balamb, uh?" he said as his face wandered from one face to another. He settled on Selphie again as he tipped his hat and beamed her a thousand-gil smile "Greetings."

Zell´s fists balled in anger at the sharpshooter´s cocky attitude. Irvine noticed it and raised an eyebrow as he asked "You cool with me helping you out?"

Squall folded his arms "That depends on your attitude." The SeeD leader had noticed Zell´s outburst too.

"I say things that get a rise of some people." said Irvine shrugging a little. "Just don´t let it bother you and we´ll get along fine."

Squall nodded and proceded to present his team to the new member. "I´m Squall Leonhart, the squad leader." He turned towards the blond man standing a few feet at his left "This is Zell Dincht, hand-to-hand combat especialist." His attention focused on the blonde woman standing right beside the martial artist "This is Quistis Trepe, former instructor at Balamb Garden..." Squall moved quickly to the next member "Selphie Tilmitt, formerly from Trabia Garden" His gaze centered on the girl at his right as he said "Rossane Bennett..." he noticed her frown and cleared his throat before continuing "... Rosie... is formerly from Galbadia Garden."

Irvine´s eyes widdened as he looked at the raven-haired SeeD "Really? You´re from this Garden?"

_Damn! _Rosie smiled nervously as she nodded and said "Y-Yeah... well, used to be. I transfered to Balamb Garden." she avoided saying how many time had passed since her supposed transfer, hoping Irvine would think it had been long ago, justifying why he hadn´t seen her in the Galbadian campus.

"I see." The cowboy said smiling, apparently buying Rosie´s explanation. "Well, it´s a shame... one less flower in this desertic Garden." He said, his charming smile widening as the raven-haired SeeD blushed despite herself.

Squall´s frown deepened as he turned his head towards the other raven-haired girl in the group and said "And finally... this is Rinoa."

Irvine tipped his hat again and said "Pleased to meet... Well, as Mr-Asshole said, I´m Irvine Kinneas, sharpshooter extraordinaire."

Zell rolled his eyes and turned to Squall. "So, what´s our mission?" he asked.

The SeeD leader unfolded the paper again and resumed its content quickly "The assigned SeeD team would be dispached in a very important mission by direct orders of both Balamb and Galbadia Gardens..." his eyes rolled further down where the objectives of the mission were described "... we´re to..."

Squall´s tone got colder, while the frown on his face deepened. "...assasinate the Sorceress"

"What?!" asked Rinoa, her eyes wide in surprise. "But that´s..."

"Suicide." said Rosie cooly.

Squall continued reading "Kinneas will shoot her from afar. And should the sniper fail, we´re to attack head on."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence..." said Irvine smirking as he checked his shotgun´s barrel. He closed it and cocked the weapon ".. but I never miss my target."

"We´re to travel to the capital of Galbadia, Deling City and meet with General Caraway to go over the details of the plan. We have to get there today at 1400 hours." said Squall as he finished reading the document. Finding nothing more useful, the SeeD used a small Fire spell to incinerate the official orders so they wouldn´t be read by unwanted eyes. He checked his watch and said "We should hurry and catch the 1200 hours train."

"Well, then... we should split in small groups to get there undetected, don´t you think?" said Irvine as he walked towards Selphie Rinoa and Rosie. "How about you three? I´m sure you´ll be good partners." He said smiling as he placed his hand on Selphie´s shoulder.

Squall crossed his arms and muttered "Yeah, sure..."

"Well, if you want to change the team, I´m open to suggestions." said Irvine shrugging.

Squall glared at the cowboy and said "We´re not splitting up."

ooo ooo

The travel to Galbadia Garden´s train station was relatively quiet, each of the teenagers lost within their own thoughts. Rosie looked at the huge structure, several Galbadian students were boarding the train, their chatter and footsteps echoing through the place.

Squall paid the tickets and entered the train. Looking at the security device leading to the private cabins, the SeeD decided to open it before Selphie arrived. The tiny SeeD giggled slightly as she noticed his move and said:

"You´ve caught on!" she smiled at him briefly before rushing inside the walkway.

The SeeDs followed Selphie and entered their private cabin, the brunette girl stayed in the corridor, her lithe frame leaned against the window pane as she gazed at the numerous students outside.

"This train bound for Deling City, will be departing shortly. Please all passengers get onboard. " An electronic voice broke the silence as the teenagers made themselves comfortable.

Rinoa giggled as she said "This is the only train bound for Deling City, anyway." Quistis and Zell laughing a little at her remark. Rosie smiled and shook her head slightly, while Squall and Irvine remained silent, the second one seemed to be lost in thought..

The train´s engine started, the whistle loudly announcing the vehicle´s departure. As Quistis and Rinoa engaged in a very animated conversation about Deling City shops, Zell stood up from the couch and walked towards the digital screen in the back of the room. Squall leaned backwards on the lower bunker mattress, closing his eyes as he listened to the sounds the other SeeDs made. Rosie was petting Angelo again, as she listened intently to the conversation between the other 2 girls, smiling as they described the marvelous things available for purchase in the Shopping District.

Irvine, who was leaning against the wall near the door, shrugged slightly as he muttered "Hmm... Perhaps it´s fate?" his voice gaining the attention of the other teenagers. The sharpshooter seemed not to notice their inquisitive gazes as he quickly got out of the room.

"He just kind of went off..." said Quistis, her voice a little concerned about the new team member´s actions. She turned her gaze towards Squall, who was leaning on his elbow, his stare fixed on the door. "Shouldn´t you check on Selphie?"

Squall´s frown deepened a little. He was about to send Zell, but suddenly the memory of Rosie´s words in the forest struck him.

_Guess it´s my job as the squad leader..._

Squall nodded slightly as he stood up and walked out of the compartment.

ooo ooo

"Selphie... we´re destined to be together!" said Irvine as he leaned closer to the brunette girl standing at his right. His tone was low and sultry, sending shivers down her spine. The tiny SeeD´s gaze was set on the passing mountains, as she moved her body further from his.

"Y-Yeah, right...!" she replied sarcastically, trying her best not to show just how nervous he made her feel. Her heart was beating at double pace and she could feel her cheeks growing warmer with each passing second his eyes gazed upon her. A faint frustrated sigh escaped her lips as she tried to settle herself, but to no avail.

Unfortunately for her, the cowboy´s ears were as sharp as his eyes. He smiled widely as he playfully asked "A sigh of love?"

Selphie´s eyes widened at his question. She turned to face him, a frown shown on her pretty face as she said as firmly as her actual state of mind could allow her "N-No..."

Irvine was about to add something else, when the sound of heavy footsteps behind him made the sharpshooter turn around. Selphie´s frown softened as she looked at the intruder. Squall was standing a couple of paces away from the cowboy, his deep frown settled on the sharpshooter as he firmly kept his stance. Irvine turned to Selphie, flashing her a smile as he tipped his hat. The cowboy turned around and started walking towards Squall.

"Pardon me." He said before the SeeD leader moved slightly to the side, allowing the sharpshooter to pass. Irvine walked down the corridor, his frame dissapearing behind the private cabin´s door.

Selphie sighed as the cowboy stepped out of sight. Her hands went up to her chest as she shakely returned her gaze to the Galbadian landscape.

_My heart is pounding... what is this I´m feeling?_

"You ok?" asked Squall as he looked at the brunette. Her face was lighted by a fierce blush and her small frame kept shivering as though she was cold.

Selphie nodded slightly and muttered "Thanks." She turned to look at him briefly, a little smile adorning her face, though he could see it was somewhat forced. Selphie seemed still in shock by Irvine´s advances, the sharpshooter had probably startled her with his right-to-the-point attitude.

Squall turned to look at the closed cabin´s door. His frown deepened as loud voices came out of the room. He turned around and quickly returned to the SeeD compartment.

As the door opened, Squall could see Irvine´s tall form standing beside Rinoa. Despite the deep blush covering her cheeks, the raven-haired girl seemed quite annoyed with the sharpshooter. Undoubtedly, Irvine had used one of his giggoló techniques on her.

Zell´s stance tensed, the martial artist was obviously annoyed by the cowboy´s attitude. However, before he had the chance to show his anger, Quistis stood up from her seat, a deep frown showing on her face as her voice raised sharp and cold through the compartment.

"Irvine Kinneas!!" the ex-instructor scolded him just as she had many students at Balamb Garden. "You´re playing a mayor role in this mission, so behave yourself!"

The sharpshooter´s pose changed, he buckled his knees a little as his arms hanged at his sides. His voice changed too, there was no sign of overwhelming confidence in it as he said "No one understands me..." He shook his head slightly as he said "You see, sharpshooters are loners by nature... We live by our insticts and pour our whole being into a single bullet... it can be just a minute for everybody else, but for the one behind the trigger it feels like an eternity."

As Irvine´s gaze wandered from one face to the other, his voice became deeper as he said "It´s something I have to face alone... and it´s not easy." He shrugged a little as a small smile crept to his lips "So like... do me a favour and let me be!"

Zell couldn´t kept his anger at bay any longer, his whole body trembling in rage at the cowboy´s arrogant actions. His magical-strenghtened fist punched the train´s floor, making the entire vehicle shudder with the sheer force of the hammering beat. The lights flickered briefly as the train slowed down. A minute later, came an anouncement on the train´s intercom saying that there had been no damage due to the 'minor vibration' and requesting the passengers to remain calm.

The SeeDs turned to look at Zell, who avoided their gazes as he quickly walked out of the room.

An hour passed since the SeeDs and Rinoa had abandoned Galbadia Garden. Irvine had no longer tried to pull anything on the girls, though he kept an eye on Selphie as she and other 2 female members of the team chatter excitedly about Deling City.

Rosie had moved beside Squall and feigned to sleep, trying to keep Irvine as far from her as possible. She knew the sharpshooter would try to ask more about her staying at Galbadia Garden and, as long as she knew almost nothing about the faccility´s organization, customs, etc, it would be quite easily for the cowboy to realize she was lying. So far Rosie had been able to keep her story straight, but if she risked spending more time with Irvine, that would most definitely change.

Her train of thought was interrupted by an electronic voice announcing their arrival to the capital of the Republic of Galbadia – though the term 'Republic' was nothing more than a fancy title. As they exited the train, the teenagers stepped into a dark and elegant station. The atmosphere was noisy as several other students and civilians walked in and out of the huge chamber. As the SeeDs walked through a corridor leading to an electronic flight of stairs, Rosie remembered her own travels in her city´s underground train system. She smiled a little, feeling nostalgic all of a sudden.

Selphie´s excited giggle, however, vanished the feeling as the raven-haired SeeD turned her head up to see at the magnificent street in front of her. She had never seen Deling City´s daylight view, but she had to admit the scene before her was as beautiful as in the nightly hours.

A huge white marble fountain stood just in the middle of the main street, dividing the driveway in 3 sections, the north one heading towards a colossal and richly-decorated arch. This was the Central Gate, a monument placed just in the middle of the city, the pride of the Galbadians, along with the magestical Presidential Palace which was home of the life-long President, Vinzer Deling. The street bustled with activity, several cars and red busses drove from one place to another, as many people walked along the sideways, enjoying the fresh air.

"Now, how are we supposed to get to Caraway´s Manor?" asked Zell looking at the huge city before them.

"It´s not too far from here, actually." replied Rinoa shrugging. "We just have to take bus 08."

"How are you so sure?" asked Quistis as she raised a thin eyebrow.

"Well..." the raven-haired girl looked quite uncomfortable as she said "... I was raised here..."

Knowing how much Rinoa despised her father, Rosie decided to stir the conversation in other direction before the SeeDs started questioning the raven-haired girl further, figuring Rinoa could owe her one later. "She´s right. C´mon, the bus stop is this way." She said before starting her way out of the station.

As the SeeDs waited for the bus, Squall´s gaze wandered through the street, stopping in the furthest corner, where a couple of Galbadian soldiers were patroling. The memory of the first strange 'dream' he had came to his mind like a thunderbolt.

_So this is where Laguna´s from... I wonder if he´s here right now... _

_But even if he is, would he be able to explain what we experienced? _

_And if he couldn´t... then what does it mean?_

Squall´s frown deepened, his troubled thoughts were interrupted as the bus finally arrived and he had to force himself to keep focused on the mission at hand. The Sorceress Assasination Plan was his first priority right now. His thoughts changed their direction as he took a seat next to Irvine – who was already hitting on a pair of Galbadian girls – and settled his gaze on the road ahead.

_General Caraway... he´s the head of this country´s army. I wonder if all this is nothing more but a coup d´etat? _ The bus made its way through an upper-class-looking street, with huge manors lined on each side of the road.

_No... I don´t think the General´s out to overthrow the President... _

_The orders came from both Balamb and Galbadia Gardens so I highly doubt they – especially Cid – would have let himself be involved in something like this if it was in fact an overthrowing, especially with a powerful and potentially dangerous Sorceress in the scene._

A few minutes later, the bus stopped in front of a huge, golden gate. Through its bars, a magnificent manor surrounded by exotic-looking gardens and fountains was visible. This was the residence of General Richard Caraway.

The SeeDs walked towards the gate, when suddenly a couple of heavily-armed Galbadian soldiers cut them off. Another soldier, stepped out from behind the gate and looking at the teenagers, said "I´m afraid this residence is off-limits."

Squall took a step forward, making the galbadians' grip on their weapons tighten. "We come from Galbadia Garden. I believe General Caraway's been informed of our arrival."

"Yes, indeed..." The soldier nodded slightly as he looked at the teenagers "But I´m afraid I was ordered not to let you in until your skills had been tested."

No sooner had the soldier finished talking than the SeeDs started protesting.

"What the hell is he talking about?!"

"We´re SeeDs, you know!"

"Really now..."

Squall's right hand raised and the protests died down. The SeeD leader didn´t like the situation any more than his comrades, but if the General wanted to 'test' them, so be it. They will do whatever stupid thing Caraway wanted them to achieve in order to let them through and proceed to the Assasination mission.

His voice was nearly a growl as he asked "What does he want us to do?"

The soldier gulped a little before finally speaking "Northeast of here is the Tomb of the Unknown King. A fellow student of yours went there some time ago on a quest to uncover the truth about some monsters said to live there... but he never came out. He left his ID behind though and the General want you to retrieve it."

"That's it?!" asked angrily Zell "We came all the way here for some stupid test of courage?" the martial artist was silenced as Squall turned his head slightly and sent him a vicious glare.

The Galbadian soldier shrugged and replied "There are many students like yourselves trying to call on the General. " He reached inside of his pocket and produced a folded piece of paper "Anyway, here's a map on the place." He said as he handed it to Squall. "Good luck... you´ll need it." he added before turning around and returning to his post.

"What a bummer!" complained Selphie as they crossed the street.

"Why did he say we would need luck?" asked Rinoa, glancing at the map Squall still held. "It looks easy enough to navigate."

"It´s not how complicate the laberynth is, but what lies inside of it." replied Rosie, gaining the stares of the other teenagers.

"Meaning?" asked Zell, frowning.

"There's a rumor about the Tomb being haunted." replied Irvine shrugging "But the real deal are the monsters lurking inside."

"Not to mention the Brothers." added Rosie, a sudden chuckle from the cowboy startling her. She frowned "What?"

"Those are just legends." replied the sharpshooter still smiling.

"What are?" asked Selphie

"People around here say inside of the Tomb live a couple of earth spirits, which supposedly guard the last Centra´s King resting place. The legend says the King´s guardsmen were 2 brothers and after their monarch was murdered, they were cursed and turned into bull-like monsters destined to guard the Tomb for all eterninty." said Irvine shrugging a little.

_Well, I can assure you they are real._ Thought Rosie angrily. _And I for one am prepared to face them if needed be. Lucky we fought those Thrustaevis yesterday, I got many Float and Aero spells._

Squall seemed oblivious to the other teens´ conversation. He looked at his watch and asked "How far is this Tomb?"

Irvine took a moment to consider "... Hmmm... about 40 miles." He turned to face their leader and asked casually "Why?"

"Because we gotta be back here before sunset." replied Squall as he started walking down the street.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note:_

_It took me some time to finish this chapter because I was seriously considering having Rosie´s cover blown by Irvine. But I decided to leave it for later, maybe he will be the first one to really get suspicious about her, but I´m still working on it..._

_Anyway, hope you like this chapter! ;D_

_See ya later!_


	32. Chapter 32 Ancient Legends

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII..._

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 32: Ancient legends**

By CelestialRage

"Selphie, I wanna get there alive!" yelled Rosie in panic as the rented vehicle raised a couple of feet from the floor and landed heavily, raising a cloud of dust as it decended. While Irvine seemed the only one – beside the driver – to be actually enjoying the ride, the other 5 teenagers held to their seats for dear life as the petite girl sped the vehicle across the green fields.

Selphie had almost begged Squall to let her drive and the SeeD leader had accepted, figuring that without having to take the wheel he would be able to continue his silent musing. However, as soon as they left the city and entered the open fields, Squall realized his mistake as Selphie hit the fuel, almost rolling over a wild Cockatrice´s nest.

Finally, after almost an hour of insane driving, the SeeDs and Rinoa arrived to the ancient faccility. Zell jumped out of the vehicle as soon as Selphie brought it to a stop near a crumbling grey-blue stone wall. The martial artist disappeared between the thick vegetation for a couple of minutes and when he returned his face was as white as chalk.

As the SeeDs approached the huge stone building standing as a memorial to the ancient Centra civilization, the sound of their footsteps joined the song of a passing river just in front of the Tomb. Rosie was amazed by the size of the building as well as the richly decorated walls and columns, where thousands of symbols of an unknown language had been carefully carved over the blue-grey stone, trying to tell the foreigners stories now lost in the void of time.

They found an ancient stone walkway surrounded by greenery. The native flora of the region had covered most part of the building and its surroundings, ironically making the Tomb flow with life. The SeeDs finally crossed the stone bridge connecting the building with the other end of the river.

Squall took a look inside the ancient chamber and was surprised to discover that instead of a black void, he was able to see a well-lit corridor. However, the light didn´t proceed from torches as he had expected, but seemed to come from the building itself. He turned to look at his team, noticing Rinoa seemed a little anxious about stepping inside the crumbling building.

"The place sure is big." said Irvine looking upwards at the Tomb´s front wall. "Do we split up?"

Squall crossed his arms, taking a moment to consider his options. If they split up they might be able to find the ID quicker, but giving the amount of monsters lurking the building it may prove to be dangerous... However, they needed to get back to Deling City as soon as possible and the place looked big enough to take them more than a couple of hours to search it from head to toe...

"We better stick together." said Squall finally "We don´t know what we will find inside and I don´t want to risk it." He shook his head as he said "But we´ll move quickly, without staying more than the necessary in the rooms, undersood?"

The other teenagers nodded and Squall nodded back. He spun around and, unsheating Revolver, stepped inside the Tomb. They walked through a narrow corridor, its stone walls were covered with antique symbols as well, their footsteps echoed through the chamber as the sound of the river outside grew fainter with each passing minute. The scent of death wasn´t as heavy as they would have expected, an earthy odor – like the one smelled when rain starts to pour over dirt – was perceived in its instead. As the SeeDs arrived to the first intersection, Squall halted and took the map from his pant´s rear pocket.

Rosie´s gaze wandered through the chamber.

_It´s gotta be here somewhere! _She thought remembering that the item they were looking for was lying on the floor in this place. The raven-haired SeeD took a couple of paces away from the group, her gaze never leaving the chamber´s floor.

_Damn! It´s not here! _

"Rosie, is something wrong?" asked Selphie concerned as she looked at her friend inspecting the floor next to the right wall.

_Just that the ID is not where its supposed to be and I have no idea of where it may be now..._ Instead of speaking her mind, the raven-haired SeeD just shook her head and remained silent, her mind focused in the problem at hand. _If it´s not here... then... _

Squall had been inspecting the map closely, there were 3 main rooms in the labyrinth, as well as one in the middle of it. He turned his gaze to the front, according to the map, the central chamber was just at the end of the corridor they were in. Maybe the ID was there? Making up his mind, Squall started walking, the other teens following close. Rosie kept her eyes on the floor, scanning the area for the precious item which location was currently an enigma for her.

The SeeDs were blinded briefly as they reached the center of the labyrinth. It was a wide open space, a water pit stood between the teenagers and the center stone chamber. Although the space wasn´t wide, the chamber stood in a pilar and if the teens risked to jump and didn´t made it, the fall to the cold waters below was most certainly mortal. Squall decided to inspect the other 3 chambers before taking any unecesarry risks. Maybe they´d find something useful in the other rooms.

As the SeeDs made their way towards the right side of the laberynth, Squall noticed Rosie´s grip on her weapon tightened. The raven-haired SeeD looked anxiously at the entrance of the now nearer chamber. However, the SeeD had no time to ponder his thoughts deeper as Selphie´s cry was heard.

The SeeDs turned to face the tiny girl, whose right boot was trapped by a blue slimy substance. Irvine quickly raised his double-barreled shotgun, the noise of the bullet leaving the cannon echoed through the chamber. A second later, a blue goo-like monster dropped from the ceiling.

But it was not alone.

Several other slimy creatures fell to the floor, their fiery amber eyes glowed with malice as they surrounded the SeeDs. Angelo barked and placed itself in front of his master, while the SeeDs weapons raised quickly, ready to battle the approaching monsters.

Zell punched a nearby creature, unfortunatelly his fist stayed right where it struck. "What the HELL?!" yelled the martial artist as he tried to remove his hand from the slimy interior of the monster´s body.

Quistis came to his aid, casting a Blizzard in the area surrounding Zell´s hand, the martial artist pulled with all his might and freed his wrist.

"Use magic on them." suggested the ex-instructor, gaining a deep blush from the blond SeeD.

Rosie and Irvine´s weapons, along with Squall´s gunblade proved to be the most efficent way to chop great amounts of slime from the monsters´ bodies. Selphie, Rinoa, Quistis and Zell kept using their magical stores against the gel-like creatures, discovering that they were suceptible to different elements. Some were weak against cold, while others were against electricity or fire.

Soon, the floor around them was covered with blue goo, the monsters already dead. Angelo sniffed the substance while the teenagers paused to let Rosie and Irvine reload their weapons as the others checked their junctions. Once they were ready, Squall led them to the right chamber.

The place was darker than the rest of the corridors, the only source of light came from a gigant stone statue placed in a high pilar. The statue gleamed with a blue hue, iluminating the surrounding walls and the symbols carved in them. As Squall stepped closer to the monument, he was surprised to see it was a bull-like humanoid. It was holding a large spiky mace, a red shield with an unknown symbol adorned its left arm, while a bronze chestplate protected its upper body. The earthy scent intensified as the SeeD leader approached the stone figure.

"Here´s your earth spirit, doll." said Irvine smirking as he glanced at Rosie.

"Man, what an ugly piece of stone!" said Zell as he examined the figure standing in the pilar more closely. "Centra art sucks!"

Rosie took a couple of steps back, Reaper held high as she said "That´s not a statue!"

Rinoa crossed her arms and rolled her eyes as she said "Of course it´s a..." her voice was cut off by a thunderous roar, the SeeDs and their client turned around and watched in awe as the supposed statue jumped from the pilar, Quistis barely avoiding being crushed by its gigant body as it fell.

Its heavy mace flew to the right, Selphie ducked to avoid the powerful blast and sent the creature a Blizzard spell. At the same time, Irvine and Rosie´s gunshots were heard, the high-caliber rounds piercing the monster´s flesh, leaving holes in its rock-like skin. However, as the creature howled again, the wounds closed and the bullets that had penetrated its surface fell to the floor.

"It´s a GF!" warned Quistis as she casted a Fira spell on it.

Squall and Zell charged, the first one moving quickly to the right, avoiding the huge mace by a few inches, his gunblade slashing the Guardian´s right arm, while the second one focused his junction-enhanced strenght and sent the creature a powerful kick to its abdomen, making the bull-like monster stumble backwards. Selphie and Rinoa casted a couple of ice spells as the GF collapsed to the floor.

Injured and enraged, the Guardian Force climbed to its feet quickly, sending the teenagers in front of it a vicious growl. It swung the heavy mace around, forcing the SeeDs to step backwards in order to avoid the heavy blow. Another icy spell struck its left side as more high-caliber bullets pierced its skin. Finding itself surrounded and in clear disadvantage, the GF opted to flee. Its huge bulky body tensed before leaping over the SeeDs´ heads and dashing out of the chamber.

"**THIS AIN´T OVER!"** yelled the bull-like creature over its shoulder before disappearing inside the maze.

The teenagers stood still astonished at their encounter with the supposed statue.

"Legends, uh?" said Rosie sarcastically looking at Irvine, who shrugged and grinned shyly.

"Well, it sure seemed pretty damn real to me." replied Zell

ooo ooo

General Caraway´s gaze wandered through a nearby street.

Several soldiers were placing barricades in order to close the driveway as some citizens watched them, excitement written in their faces.

Caraway shook his head slightly.

How little did the people of Galbadia knew! Vinzer Deling was nothing more than a pawn to the Sorceress and unless they were able to stop her, another war will surely start and Galbadia will be in the center of it.

He turned his head and looked at the right wall where a golden clock was placed. The plan would start at 20:00 hours, but he hoped the SeeD team would get there sooner.

ooo ooo

Squall´s curative spell struck the skeleton-like monster, draining the death energy in its body and killing it. Selphie helped Rinoa to her feet as Rosie cast a Cure on Irvine´s injured arm. Quistis and Zell stood silently beside the fallen bulky Armadodo´s body, while Squall watched as the Forbiden´s bones melted completely leaving a dark stain on the Tomb´s floor.

The SeeDs had been inside the ancient building for about an hour after their encounter with the earth GF. The 7 teenagers had finished checking the other 2 outer chambers as well as all the inner corridors and had found none traces of the lost item. However, Rosie had found and activated a control in the leftmost chamber, the sound of something very heavy falling had echoed through the whole laberynth as she did it. Now, the SeeDs were walking towards the central chamber of the building, as it remained the only unexplored place.

As they approached the Tomb´s core, they noticed a wooden bridge had been placed across the open area, granting the SeeDs access to the chamber.

Squall´s frown deepened, they hadn´t seen the Guardian again as they explored the laberynth. He remembered the legend Irvine told them back in Deling City. According to it, the earth spirit was bound to protect the Tomb, so it had to be inside the central chamber.

Furthermore, if the legend was true, it was not alone...

The SeeDs prepared their junctions and stepped inside the Tomb´s core. The room was wider than expected, illuminated by a huge hole in the ceiling just above a golden richly-decorated coffin. Resting over the crafted top of the King´s burial place, was a sabre-like sword, the kind used by Garden students. Squall unsheathed his gunblade as the wall behind the coffin shifted, a bull-like creature emerging from the stone.

"**Y-YOU´RE BACK AGAIN?!"** The Guardian´s powerful voice echoed through the chamber **"HOW DARE YOU DISTURB THE KING´S RESTING PLACE! I TOOK IT EASY ON YOU BEFORE, BUT NOT NOW!"** The bull-like creature´s hand touched the wall, its spiky huge mace formed from the stone as it did mere seconds before.

Every SeeD weapon readied for the battle as the GF leaped the coffin with ease and brought the massive mace up. **"I AM SACRED, CENTRA GUARDIAN OF THIS HOLY PLACE." **

Suddenly, the north wall shifted again, the stone shaping another bull-like figure. Sacred turned, a smile forming on its lips as the second GF emerged from the wall. **"YOU ARRIVE IN TIME, BIG BROTHER."**

"B-Big brother?!" asked Zell, his eyes wide open as he gazed at the newcomer. It was an exact replica of the first Guardian, except its horns were yellow and the shield that adorned its left arm was blue...

... and it was barely a meter tall.

"**THIS HUMANS CRASHED OUR LORD´S TOMB... AND THEY ATTACKED ME!"** said Sacred as the tiny GF produced its equally tiny weapon from the same wall he had appeared from.

"**Really? They attacked you?"** The GF turned to look at the SeeDs, a solemn smile on its lips as he inspected the teenagers with respect. **"Not bad for mere humans."** Its voice echoed in the room, surprisingly the tone was sharp and powerful, not what the SeeDs had expected given the Guardian´s looks.

"So the elder is the smaller?" whispered Rinoa, leaning a little towards Selphie and gaining a giggle from the brunette SeeD.

Sacred´s thunderous growl made the walls tremble slightly. **"HOW DARE YOU MAKE FUN OF US!"**

The tiny Guardian´s growl joined his brother´s **"Foolish little humans! I, Minotaur, will show you not to judge a book by its cover!" **With that, the Guardian leaped from its place and landed heavily – given its size – beside its brother. Both earth spirits´ weapons smashed the chamber´s floor, the blast creating an earthquake that made some loose rocks from the ceiling fall, the SeeDs rolled to the side to avoid them or shielded themselves behind Protect spells.

Despite their size and complexion, the Guardians proved to be quite fast. As the rocks fell, they were already in movement, Sacred´s weapon swung and caught Rosie´s magically shielded body, sending her against the furthest wall. The raven-haired SeeD´s body smashed the wall with enough force to make a dent in it. The blue magical barrier absorbed most of the impact, and as she collapsed to the floor, it flickered slightly before disappearing as its caster was knocked out.

Minotaur had attacked Zell, the martial artist barely able to avoid being crushed by the tiny – but heavy – mace. He jumped and sent the Guardian a flying kick, but the GF caught his foot and hurled him across the room, the blond SeeD smashing hard against the furthest wall.

Squall avoided Sacred´s weapon as cast an ice spell to its legs, trapping the GF in place enough so he could move to its side, Revolver piercing the stone-like skin. Squall pulled the gunblade´s trigger and 3 massive bullets made the earth spirit stumble and fall, its side badly injured. Selphie, Rinoa and Quistis were already casting various spells at both Guardians, while Irvine´s finger pulled the trigger of his Valiant as fast as he could, his bullets piercing Minotaur´s skin and gaining a furious growl from the tiny GF.

Sacred spun quickly, its heavy weapon striking Quistis arm, injuring her badly. Rinoa casted a Cure spell quickly on the blonde woman as Squall´s gunblade parried Sacred subsequent blow. The SeeD´s knees buckled as his magical-enhanced arms pushed the incredibly strong Guardian away. Squall dashed towards the stumbling bull-like creature, his gunblade finding its way through Sacred´s chest as another round of bullets hit the Guardian. The earth GF fell to its knees, its mouth opening slightly as words of an unknown language echoed through the room´s walls.

Suddenly, the chamber´s floor shinned, a blue hue emanating from it and traveling the lenght of the Brothers´ stone bodies, their injures dissapearing at once and leaving the GFs as good as new.

"What the..?" Squall exclaimed as the gunblade´s bullets left Sacred´s fully restored body.

Minotaur´s mace hit the floor, a tile floated a couple of feet from the ground. The Guardian made a quick gesture with its paw and the stone boulder flew towards the girls. Selphie quickly focused her energy and used a magic manipulation spell she had learned in Trabia. Her hands went down in a quick motion before the brunette raised them with her palms up. At the same time, the floor at her feet shuddered and a large stone wall raised to shield her and the other 2 teens. Minotaur´s boulder collapsed with Selphie´s barrier, both stone structures desintegrating due to the impact.

The sound of the crushing stone was the first Rosie heard as she came to her senses. Her eyes focused in time to see as Squall jumped backwards, avoiding Sacred´s mace by inches, while Irvine quickly reloaded his weapon, the girls covering him with their spells. As she looked down to retrieve her fallen weapon at her side, the floor gleamed again, the blue hue running towards the Brothers. The raven-haired SeeD climbed to her feet, her weapon up and ready to strike as she focused her magic, reaching for the Float spells she had stocked.

Sacred´s weapon went up, the bulky Guardian ready to strike the sharpshooter, when suddenly its feet left the ground, an invisible force hurling it up and keeping its massive figure in middair. The blue glow coming from the floor below the massive GF dissolved, instead focusing on the other Brother´s feet.

"**HOW DARE YOU?!"** Sacred´s deep growl echoed through the chamber.

Squall quickly mirrored Rosie´s spell, focusing the magical energy on the other earth spirit. Minotaur´s tiny body shoot up, floating a whole meter from the ground. The blue hue illuminating the chamber´s floor disappeared completely, as both Brothers were away from their elemental source of energy.

However, the battle was still on. The GFs used their own elemental magic to attack the SeeDs, now that they were unable to move freely in their natural element. Selphie cast another Wall to shield the SeeDs from the stone boulders Minotaur was conjuring, while Irvine and Rinoa kept attacking the Guardians. Quistis´s eyes glowed, the blonde SeeD released a powerful attack from them, injuring the Guardians´ stone bodies further. Rosie and Squall were shielding behind Selphie´s Wall, both SeeDs´ concentration focused entirely in keeping the Float spells working to prevent the GFs from regenerating again.

Sacred´s heavy weapon fell from its hand, as Irvine´s bullets had opened a very nasty wound on the GF´s chest. **"I´M SORRY BROTHER... I... LOST..."**

Suddenly, Minotaur´s roar was heard again, this time, however, was not in rage but in pain. Zell had finally returned to the battle, the blond SeeD had used his most powerful move on the GF as a retribution for the injure he had suffered. The tiny Guardian´s body shuddered in pain and exhaustion, its sharp voice rocking once more the chamber´s walls.

"**The Brothers... defeated?"**

Squall came out from behind the magical stone Wall, his gaze falling on the badly injured GFs. The SeeD leader eased his control on the Float spell, letting the GF´s wounded body to gently get down to the ground. As soon as Minotaur´s feet touched the chamber´s floor, the blue hue returned, its body glew for an instant and its injures closed. Rosie did the same with the weak Sacred and when both Brothers were completely healed, they bowed in front of the teenagers.

"**Mighty ones... may we join you?** asked Minotaur in a polite tone **"We shall serve you as we did our previous master."**

"Uhmm... but weren´t you cursed because he was murdered? That´s not very encouraging..." said Selphie in her typical honest-to-a-fault attitude.

"Selphie!" hissed Rosie, eyeing the brunette menacingly as she prayed the Brothers didn´t take her comment seriously and start another fight with the SeeDs.

"**MURDERED?!"** growled Sacred angrily **"OUR LORD WAS NOT MURDERED! HE DIED AT A VERY ADVANCED AGE, AFTER A LIFE FULL OF GLORY AND POWER."**

"**He was the greatest King of the Centra people."** said Minotaur, as it turned towards the golden coffin** "But those who were afraid of the power of his country spread rumors about his life, saying he was in fact wicked and evil and had met his end at the hands of a holy warrior... and that the King´s last wicked act had been cursing us to protect his dark secrets for all eternity."**

"That sounds a lot like the legend you told us, Irvine." said Quistis as she turned to face the sharpshooter.

"Told ya, it´s what people around here say." He replied shrugging.

"**The truth is we, the ancient Earth spirits, were defeated by the King alone and therefore were bound to serve him as the Guardian Force´s rules command."** said Minotaur as it turned around to look at the SeeDs. **"And now, we have new masters... who of you mighty humans shall we serve?"**

ooo ooo

After 15 minutes of discussing, the SeeDs decided that Irvine should have the aid of the GFs, as the Galbadian cowboy lacked magical support as the others – except Rinoa – had. As the Brothers junctioned with the sharpshooter´s body, Squall walked towards the golden coffin, retrieving the requested item and their primary reason for being there.

The 7 teenagers walked out of the ancient building, the still bright sunlight greeting them after their hard – but productive – ordeal. The SeeDs returned to their vehicle and braced themselves as Selphie took the wheel again, the tiny brunette menacing to cast a Pain spell on them if they prevented her from driving.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note:_

_I changed a little the Brothers personality, especially Sacred. I don´t like the idea of a moronic GF... besides they were guardians of an ancient Tomb and having a personality like Raijin´s didn´t reflected that very good. :D_

_Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter!_


	33. Chapter 33 The Rise of a New Era

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 33: The rise of a new era**

By CelestialRage

Squall handed the sabre-like sword to the soldier behind Caraway´s manor gate security. Thanks to Selphie´s driving abilities, the SeeDs were able to get back in Deling City an hour later.

"Very good." replied the soldier smiling as he opened the gate to let the SeeDs enter. He turned around and led the teenagers inside. "This way, please."

The SeeDs walked along a tree-lined stone walkway. The noise of the water flowing in a nearby fountain and the teenagers´ steps were the only sounds heard in the huge property. Squall looked around, wondering why had both Galbadia and Balamb Gardens joined with General Caraway. The notion seemed... well, weird. As the head of the Galbadian army, Caraway had all the power he needed to overthrow Deling and even the Sorceress, if that was his desire. Squall could understand Martine and Cid´s interest in this matter as well, neither of the Headmasters wanted the Sorceress to take control over Galbadia Garden... so did that mean Squall and his team would be working with the Galbadian army to defeat the Sorceress and the President?

His train of thought was interrupted by a soft feminine voice at his left side. "Squall?" He turned to look at Rinoa, who seemed a little anxious.

_What is this time?_ He thought as she stood beside him, bitting her lower lip and curiously, reminding him of Rosie. The raven-haired SeeD did the same whenever she was worried.

"Is my contract... still in effect?" she shyly asked.

He nodded. Even when the orders from Galbadia and Balamb Gardens had priority over Rinoa´s, their contract with the Owls was still active. "Why?"

"Just... don´t leave me in this house, ok?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper as her eyes locked with his. "Want me to explain why?"

Squall shook his head.

_You´re the leader of a rebel faction who planned to kidnap the Galbadian President and this manor is the home of the head of the Galbadian army... no wonder you don´t want to stay here._

"You should know by now." he said as he watched his comrades enter the building. "Just tell us what to do, and we´ll do it."

Rinoa nodded a little. "Okay, then." She started walking pass him as she said over her shoulder "Thanks."

The General´s house was luxurious. It was full of expensive carpets and furniture, heavy crystaline chandeliers hung from the ceiling and lit the house with a golden light. The marble statues at either side of the huge staircase leading to the second floor contrasted beautifully with the antique-looking knightly armors that lined the entrance walkway. The SeeDs and Rinoa were led to the guests waitroom in the far corner of the first floor. The guard opened the mahogany door, letting the teenagers inside the also expensive-looking decorated room.

"The General will meet you soon. Please, wait here." said the soldier before closing the door behind him.

30 minutes passed, the SeeDs were starting to loose their patience. First the General sent them to the Tomb in order to retrieve a useless ID just to test their skills and now he made them wait!!

Selphie was looking outside one of the huge windows at the garden surrounding the house. Quistis, Rinoa and Squall were sitting around a mahogany table, the SeeD leader listening to the conversation both girls kept as his eyes went from one person to another, focusing briefly on Rosie, who was inspecting a marble feminine statue at his left. Irvine was plopped on the mahogany desk placed in the far right corner of the room, his feet resting casually on top of it as the sharpshooter checked his weapon´s barrel. And Zell... well, he was already pacing around, cursing inwardly at the General.

"The General will meet you soon!" muttered the martial artist in a mocking tone. "Yeah, sure..."

Rinoa stood up as she said angrily "He always does this! How discorteous... making people wait!" she walked towards the door as she said "I´m gonna go complain." All the SeeDs looks were fixed on her as she disspeared through the door before anyone could stop her.

Squall stood up and frowned. _Guess I should follow her. With her diplomatic skills she could ruin the mission in a second._ Before he had the chance to move, however, the raven-haired girl´s head poked out the door.

"By the way, this is my house... so don´t worry, ok?" she said smiling briefly before dissapearing from view again.

"Her house?" asked Selphie shocked "Then she´s..."

"What the hell is going on here?!" muttered Zell.

A couple of minutes later, the door opened again. This time, instead of Rinoa´s blue clad figure, the General´s dark form entered the room. He was slightly shorter than Squall, his short dark hair was greying at the temple and the wrinkles that adorned his mature face showed his hard character. He wore a black buttoned military-style suit, adorned with rank-showing insignias, as well as a couple of medals. A white formal shirt could be seen underneath, a blue tie and white gloves complementing his outfit.

"Good evening." said the General as he stepped into the room and looked at the SeeDs.

"Where´s Rinoa?" asked Squall when it was obvious the raven-haired girl didn´t accompanied the newcomer.

Caraway´s tone changed, becoming sharp and cold "She´s not received the type of training you all have and may become a burden. We can´t allow this operation to fail, so its better if she stayed out of this."

"So you´re Rinoa´s father?" asked Selphie frowning.

The General sighed before saying "I can´t remember the last time she called me that."

"So the father is a high-ranking Galbadian officer and the daughter is the leader of an anti-goberment faction?!" said Zell still not believing the situation "That´s bad... really BAD!"

Caraway nodded "Indeed." He walked towards the furthest window, the SeeDs´ gazes on him. The older man looked at the street below and said "But its our problem. It doesn´t concern you."

_That´s not the case... she´s our client and her problems concern us, especially if she wants us to solve them._ Squall thought.

"Besides we have more important things to worry about." said the General facing the SeeDs again.

_Rinoa´s orders and Garden´s directive have the same value for us, though the Assasination plan has priority over the Owl´s mission._

Squall shook his head as he said "Once the mission is over, we´re working for Rinoa again." The SeeD leader thought it would be better to let the General know their intentions from the beginning. Squall folded his arms as he gazed through the same window Caraway hardly had a minute before "I don´t know what your situation is, but please don´t interfere when the time comes."

To his surprise, the General turned to face him, a deep frown on his face. When he spoke, his tone was sharp and angry "And what if I do?"

_What´s his problem?_

Squall´s frown mirrored Caraway´s as his tone became colder and dangerous "We´re all SeeDs here. We´ll act accordingly."

Selphie, Zell and Quistis nodded in agreement, their faces mirroring Squall´s. The atmosphere was tense, the SeeD leader had openly threatened the Galbadian General if he dared to interfere with their mission. Rosie watched Caraway´s face as he tried to keep his scowl, though she could tell Squall´s vicious stare had wore out much of his courage.

"Hey, hey, hey... fellas!" yelled Irvine casually, trying to ease the tension. Everyone´s eyes were on the sharpshooter as he vaulted himself over the desk with a fluid motion and sat against it as he said "We´re here to knock off a Sorceress, right? So let´s get down to bussiness."

The General seemed to argue with himself for a second before nodding slightly and saying "Ok, let me explain the plan." He walked past Squall, without looking at the SeeD leader´s face again. "Follow me, we´ll have a ride around town."

ooo ooo

As the General´s car pulled out of the manor, Caraway said "I´m sure you all know about the Galbadian goverment reaching an agreement with Sorceress Edea."

_So the Sorceress name is Edea..._

Squall frowned, the name rang a bell, but he couldn´t place where he had heard it before. Selphie, Zell and Quistis´s faces mirrored the SeeD leader´s. Irvine however, seemed somewhat confused, while Rosie´s expression remained calm and emotionless.

"There´s going to be a ceremony to conmemorate the event at the Presidential Residence tonight." The General said as he steered the wheel, taking the main street. After a couple of minutes, the car slowed down and parked in a small alley. The General opened a briefcase, handing the SeeDs some binoculars and photographs from the place at the other side of the street. "That´s the Presidential Palace." He said pointing at the huge white and grey building in front of them. "Once the ceremony is over, a parade for the Sorceress will begin and that gate will open. You´re going to divide into 2 teams: one will be the _sniper team_ and this – he pointed at a photograph showing a close-up from the front gate at the Palace – will be your position. You´ll have to lay low until the parade begins. Any conmotion will have it canceled and we can´t afford that."

"Once the gate is open and with the parade catching the guards and citizen´s attention you´ll be able to get inside, but you have to be pretty fast if you want to succeed." The General pointed at another picture as he said "This is the interior of the Palace´s rooftop. The sniper team has to find a way to it. See this? – he pointed at the lower part of the picture – it´s a hatch leading to the clocktower." He shifted and pointed to the top of the building in front of them "There´s a carousel clock concealed inside the top of the Palace. The sniper rifle is hidden there, once you get it you´ll have to stand by until exactly 20:00 hours."

Caraway turned on the engine and drove slowly further into the alley "The parade will start at the Palace´s gate and the Sorceress will be riding on the principal vehicle. Then it will turn left and circle once around the whole city along the outer road, returning to this area." The car emerged from the alley into the main outer street, the General turned left and they drove below the huge golden archway. "Here´s where the other team, the_ gateway team_ comes into play." Caraway slowed down, and pointed to a grey metalic door in the inner right side of the arch. "That´s the Gateway service door. The second team has to get inside and climb the stairs leading to the second floor. Once there, they´ll have to activate the gate´s control exactly at 20:00 hours, because that´s exactly when the Sorceress car will pass under this arch."

The General drove slowly pass the monumental Gateway towards the Comercial District "The gates will come down, trapping the Sorceress inside. At the same time, the carousel clock will raise out of the roof, carrying the sniper team with it... there will be no obstruction between the sniper and the Sorceress... all you have to do is take the open shot."

The car pulled over outside a departamental store, people were walking from one side of the street to the other as several cars passed by them. Deling City´s atmosphere was exciting, the citizens preparing for the party of the century.

Caraway turned to look at the SeeDs "Any questions?"

"General, why has the Sorceress decided to have such an extravagant parade?" asked Squall frowning at the passing citizens.

"She wants to celebrate the establishment of Galbadia Garden as her base." replied Caraway shrugging. "Anything else?" When he got no answer, the General said "Okay, we still have plenty of time before the operation begins. You should prepare properly, buy whatever you need." As the SeeDs were about to step out of the vehicle, Caraway´s voice was heard again "Just one thing."

They halted and turned to look at him. "Stay out of trouble."

Squall´s frown deepened. _Who do you think we are? We´re certainly not like.._

"We´re not like Rinoa." replied Rosie frowning. "So you don´t have to worry." The raven-haired girl said before getting out of the car.

Squall turned to look at the General, whose face was slightly red, not in anger but in embarassment. The SeeD leader nodded slightly before simply saying "We´re SeeDs."

Caraway´s gaze avoided Squall´s face as he said "Report to my residence once you´re ready, we´ll hold a final meeting then. After that we´ll proceed with the operation." The General started the engine again and drove away, leaving the 6 SeeDs standing in the middle of the busiest part of Deling City.

ooo ooo

Half an hour later, the SeeDs were back at the General´s manor. They had decided to split up and buy the items they needed separatedly in order to avoid getting any unwanted attention. Rosie and Irvine´s ammo stores were full again. Squall, however, hadn´t been so lucky. Gunblade´s rounds were not very common at Galbadia, so the SeeD leader had to be extra careful with his limited ammo.

As they entered the waiting room, they noticed the General was already waiting for them. Caraway´s head turned up to regard the SeeDs as the sound of approaching footsteps interrupted his lecture. The older man stood up from the mahogany desk, placing the book he had been reading again on the shelf behind him.

"Welcome back." He said nodding slightly. "It´s time to form the teams. The sniper and the leader of this operation will form the sniper team. The leader´s role is vital: if the plan fails for some reason or should the sniper fail – Irvine snorted slightly at this – then the leader must carry out a direct assault against the Sorceress." The General shook his head "The plan was deviced carefully because we intend this to be a covert operation. But our ultimate goal is to eliminate the Sorceress at all costs, even if it means uncovering our identities." Caraway looked around at the teenagers "So, who´s going to lead the operation?"

5 pairs of eyes landed on Squall´s face. He noticed his comrades stares´ and sighed before muttering "I will."

The General nodded as he said "Fine. I´ll leave everything else to you." He looked at his watch before saying "If you excuse me, I have some bussiness to attend before the operation starts. Meet me at the main hall in 15 minutes." Caraway walked pass Squall and disappeared through the door.

Squall´s gaze returned to the rest of the group "So the gateway team will be..."

"WOO-HOO!!" Selphie´s cheers cut him off.

"Yeah, let´s DO IT!!" said Zell excitedly as he punched the air.

"Roger." added Quistis nodding.

Rosie remained silent, her thoughts lost in the events to come. When she noticed the others were looking at her, she smiled briefly and said "Cool."

Selphie rolled her eyes at her friend´s lack of enthusiasm.

_What´s with her? _

_This is an important mission, probably the most important mission we´ll ever get and she´s not even a bit euphoric!_

"So, who´s gonna lead the gateway team, Squall?" asked the brunette girl smiling.

The SeeD leader frowned slightly. It was most certainly that Zell was more than eager to take the job, the martial artist throwing feign punches trying to look casual and at the same time get Squall´s attention. However, he knew that Quistis had more experience than any of the present, himself included. The ex-instructor had been in command on several occasions and had better leading qualities than Zell and Selphie. Both were very impulsive and he highly doubted they could handle the leading position yet. Rosie, on the other hand, had been in command of her squad during the Field Test and for what he had heard from Headmaster Cid, she had done a pretty good job. Still, she was too green compared to Quistis.

"Instructor Trepe..." he said, but stopped remembering the brief conversation they had back at the Secret Area. "Quistis Trepe, you´re in charge."

The blonde SeeD´s eyes widened in shock as Squall called her like that for the first time. He was treating her as his equal, something she had yearned for him to do for a very long time. She smiled and nodded "Ok! Leave it to me."

Squall nodded back and left the room, Irvine close on his heels. They walked quickly towards the main hall. A soldier standing by a near door, told them the General was already waiting at the front gate, so the sniper team decided to join him. As the sharpshooter closed the main door behind them, Rinoa walked down the stairs and hurriedly made her way straight to the waiting room. The raven haired girl opened the door and bursted into the room, slamming into Quistis who was about to exit the chamber and nearly knocking her off her feet.

"Hi!" said Rinoa smiling shyly at the blonde SeeD. "Sorry about that Quistis... but I finally managed to get away from the household. They kept me quite busy with their questions about my time away in Timber." She shook her head slightly before continuing "So, did that man said something?"

Before anyone could answer, Zell said "No, not really." Apparently, the martial artist had learned his lesson about letting important information slip.

Rinoa nodded slightly, eyeing the blond suspiciously, not buying his lie at all, but figuring if he didn´t want to tell her, she could ask Squall. The raven-haired girl looked around the room, but to her surprise, the SeeD leader wasn´t present "Where´s Squall?"

Quistis´s gaze went out of the window and she could see as several people walked pass the General´s house in the direction of the Presidential Palace.

_We gotta go now._

"I´m sorry, Rinoa, but we have to get going." She said as she started walking pass her.

However, the raven-haired girl held up a hand quickly, halting the blonde SeeD "Hold on a sec." She said before reaching inside her navy blue miniskirt´s pocket and producing a shiny golden bracelet adorned with a fine aquamarine stone. The ornament was expertly crafted and seemed quite valuable. "Take a look at this!! This is an Odine Bangle. I found it inside that man´s room."

"Odine?!" asked Zell surprised. Those items were quite rare and thus expensive. There were many fakes in the blackmarket, but it was difficult to tell at first glance which were real due to the fake´s craftmanship quality.

"Whatcha gonna do with it?" asked Selphie raising an eyebrow as she looked at the beautiful bracelet.

"It´s supposed to supress the Sorceress's powers... however the exact effect is still unknown. So I don´t think they´re going to use it for this mission." said the raven-haired as she casually tossed and catched the precious item.

"If it´s Odine brand, it should be pretty effective!" said Zell excitedly "They´re No. 1 when it comes to magical goods!"

Rinoa smiled widely as the martial artist´s words supported her theory "Right!"

"It´s not going to work." Rosie´s cold words cut off her celebration, gaining the other teenagers´ stares.

"Why do you say that?!" demanded Rinoa angrily "We haven´t even tried...!"

"So what are you planning to do with it?" interrupted Quistis staring directly into Rinoa´s dark brown eyes. "Having the Sorceress put it on?! How? When? Who?"

"That´s what we´re going to discuss!" replied Rinoa, but Rosie shook her head angrily.

"Do you believe that your father would have left the bangle in his room if there was a slight posibility it would help us in the mission?" asked the raven-haired SeeD as she took a couple of paces towards Rinoa "Have you ever considered that the Sorceress would notice if someone had tried to use such a device against her? No. I bet you haven´t even considered that... Or what about this?" Rosie´s face came inches away from Rinoa´s as she frowned and said "How about Squall and Irvine´s well-being? They´re already in position and your little change of plans could risk their lifes along with ours, but I guess you´re not concerned about that, are you?" Rosie halted her word assault enough to catch her breath, before continuing, her tone was lower and even colder than before "You can´t replan your daddy´s strategy in 5 minutes, Rinoa... you can´t win this assault in your little father-daughter quarrel. Not at the expense of so many people´s lives." With that, the raven-haired SeeD stalked away, disappearing behind the open door.

Quistis tone was soft as she said "I´m sorry, but we don´t have time for this. You understand, don´t you? This isn´t a game." Rinoa remained silent, her gaze was fixed on the floor, her raven hair covering most of her features. The blonde ex-instructor shook her head slightly and motioned her team to leave the room.

As the door closed behind Zell, Rinoa fell to her knees. Tears rolled down her cheeks as the memory of Rosie´s words echoed through her brain. "I understand what´s going on..." she angrily muttered between sobs "It´s not like I don´t have a plan! I at least can plan something by myself not like her!!" The raven-haired girl´s head turned up to look at the stars glowing through the open window.

ooo ooo

"I´ll make the first assault when we make the full-on attack. I´ll try to buy some time." said Squall as he and Irvine walked down the stone pathway leading to the front gate of Caraway´s manor.

The sharpshooter smirked as he casually said "That won´t be necessary... I´ll get the job done."

Squall remained silent as they joined the General. He bid them farewell and good luck and the sniper team swiftly made their way through the already growing crowd. As they walked through the park on the other side of the street where the General´s manor stood, the sharpshooter decided to ask the other teenager something that had been rounding his mind since that day´s afternoon.

"So like... is it true that SeeDs aren´t supposed to question their mission?"

Squall didn´t glance back at the cowboy, he simply shrugged and asked casually "Why do you care?" Although, deep inside, even he had to admit there were times – like now – when he wanted to know...

Irvine shrugged back and replied as casually as Squall had tried to sound before "If you knew that your enemies were pure evil... you´d get more fired up to fight them, right?"

_An enemy that is pure evil?_ Squall´s frown deepened at Irvine´s choice of words. Was he refering to the Sorceress? And why did the cowboy sounded as though he was trying to justify the mission to himself? The SeeD leader didn´t reply as he was inmersed again in his thoughts.

_Right and wrong are not what separate us and our enemies. _

_It's our different standpoints, our perspectives that separate us. Both sides blame one another. There's no good or bad side... _

_Just 2 sides holding different views._

Squall and Irvine´s forms disappeared between the crowd gathered outside the Presidential Palace.

ooo ooo

"I think you were too hard on her." Quistis´s stare turned from the nearing Gate to the raven-haired SeeD walking at her right.

Rosie shrugged and replied coldly "Well, I´m sorry... but I didn´t like her attitude." The SeeDs reached the huge golden archway, finding the manteinance door quite easily. Zell opened it slightly and entered. Two minutes later, the blond SeeD´s voice announced his comrades the place was cleared.

As Selphie entered the structure, Quistis turned to Rosie and said "She was just trying to help..."

But the raven-haired´s sharp tone cut off the blonde´s words "Oh, Quistis please!" She locked her gaze with the ex-instructor´s as she continued "She could have ruined the whole mission and **you** know it!" Rosie shook her head lightly before saying "She´s no idea of what we´re dealing with."

Quistis´s frown deepened as she replied calmly "Neither do us."

The raven-haired SeeD found herself unable to reply. She crossed her arms over her chest and directed her gaze towards the far top of the Presidential Residence.

_I can´t tell you this Quistis, but I hope Rinoa´s not going to be dumb enough to risk her life after what I told her... _

_Maybe for once in her life she´ll think twice before acting._

After a couple of silent minutes, in which both SeeD´s stares wandered through the growing crowd, Quistis´s voice was heard again. This time, however, her tone was soft and calm as she said "I know you did what you felt right, but I once heard someone say you have to consider people´s feelings on the subject too."

At this, Rosie actually chuckled, the tense atmosphere between both SeeDs relaxing a little. She rolled her eyes as she said "Geez, there´s no privacy anymore." She smirked a little as her gaze turned to look at the blonde SeeD for the first time in minutes "Those words were meant for Squall, not anyone else."

Quistis shrugged, smiling too as she replied "Yeah, but it´s a good advice."

Another silent minute passed, the raven-haired girl sighed before finally saying "I was harsh on her..."

"You should go apologize." said Quistis as she turned her gaze in Caraway´s manor direction.

Rosie shook her head lightly and replied "I promise to apologize as soon as the mission is over, ok?"

"We still have time until the operation starts." added Selphie who had joined the other 2 girls.

The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes before saying "I know, but we can´t leave our posts."

"Well, you can if I give you permission." added Quistis smiling. She motioned towards Rinoa´s former residence and said "So, go ahead."

"Yeah, besides it´s not necessary to have the 4 of us here just to press a switch, don´t you think?" said Selphie. The brunette SeeD smirked a little as she said "Unless you´re too ashamed to face Rinoa..."

Rosie frowned and snapped angrily "Of course I´m not!" she shook her head emphatically and added "Besides, it´s not only to press the switch... we have to backup Squall in case Irvine fails."

_Which is exactly what´s going to happen. _

_No way I´m leaving now..._

Quistis´s tone became serious all of a sudden "Your responsability with your client comes first, Rosie. Don´t forget that."

"Right now, Quistis I give a damn about my responsability with Rinoa." replied the raven haired SeeD angrily as she locked her gaze with the blonde woman.

_I only care about Squall... I´m not letting him get hurt. _

ooo ooo

The sound of the opening door made Rinoa come back to her senses. She turned her head slightly and watched out the corner of her eyes as her father´s figure walked towards her.

The General halted a couple of feet away from his daughter. His eyes never leaving her raven hair which resembled her mother´s so much, Caraway´s eyes stinged slightly as his departed wife´s image presented inside his mind.

"It´ll be a chaos out there soon. You´ll be safe here, Rinoa."

She remained quiet. The anger she had felt towards Rosie had now diverted and focused entirely on the man standing behind her. Her mother´s image and all the events previous to the fatal accident she suffered played again in her mind, the wound her death had left in her heart as fresh as always. Her father´s indifference in the moment she most needed him had transformed her love and admiration in hate and repulsion. Hyne knew she had tried to get closer to him along the years, but he always pushed her away...

... until she had finally stopped caring about him.

_I don´t want to be here anymore. I rather risk myself out there than stay with you another minute._

When Rinoa didn´t respond, the General sighed inaudibly and turned to leave. He closed the door behind him and opened a slim platinum panel right beside the door. Caraway´s fingers worked quickly, accesing the password in order to activate the manor´s security.

_I swear to protect our daughter, Julia. Even if I have to lock her inside this house to achieve it._

Had Rinoa not been listening intently to her father´s movements, the clicking sounds the locking mechanism did as it worked would have gone unheard. The raven-haired bolted to her feet. _Oh, no! He´s gonna lock me in!_ She thought frantically as she scrambled towards the nearest window. Without hesitation, Rinoa climbed out and moved down the side of the house. Once she had reached the soft green grass surrounding the manor, the raven-haired girl moved as swiftly as she could to the east side of the property where her old escape route lied. Effortlessly, she opened the hatch leading to the abandoned sewer tunnels that ran underneath Deling city. She had once heard that the President and his closest allies had disposed of those tunnels 20 years ago, keeping them functional as escape routes in case of an enemy attack. Thus, the entrance was top secret... except to the curious General´s daughter.

She took a deep breath as she clutched the Odine´s bangle in her right hand.

_I... I can do this... _

_I have a plan and it will work out in the end. They´ll see. _With that thought in mind, Rinoa started to climb down the stairs leading to the dark tunnels below.

ooo ooo

Squall looked around, his gaze wandering through the animated crowd. All Deling City was reunited there, small children were sitting on their parents´ shoulders to get a better view of the huge, white building at the other side of the heavily-guarded gate. The laughter and chatter from the multitude resembled more the thunderous sound announcing an incoming storm.

He turned to look at his watch.

Only 15 minutes left before the ceremony started...

ooo ooo

A couple of yards from the place Squall was standing, at the other side of the high wall surrounding the Presidential Palace, Rinoa´s hands pushed open the lid of a sewer entrance. The raven-haired girl had quickly made her way through the tunnels she had so oftenly wandered in her childhood. Rinoa placed the lid back in its original place and looked around for any possible threats. The rear door to the building was guarded by a couple of heavily-armed soldiers and although she was the General´s daughter, Rinoa hightly doubt she could gain access through one of the main doors.

Looking around, the raven-haired girl noticed a green military truck parked near the eastern wall of the Presidential Palace. The back of the vehicle was still loaded with heavy-looking crates, possibly full of weapons for the Galbadian army. As quickly as possible, Rinoa made her way to the truck, her agile form climbing its left side while she kept a vigil eye on the soldiers

As she reached the top of the highest crate, the raven-haired girl took a minute to settle her racing heart. _I´m not a SeeD, but... _Her hand went to her right pocket where the Odine bangle rested. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before taking a few steps back and running towards the crate´s edge.

_I can do this..._

Rinoa´s feet landed lightly on the Presidential Palace rooftop. She glanced around, noticing the upper entrance was unguarded. _This isn´t some kind of game... C´mon, Rinoa, you can do it!_

ooo ooo

General Caraway boarded the back seat of his limo.

He looked at his watch as the vehicle´s engine started. The ceremony would start quite soon and as the military chief of the Galbadian Republic, he was supposed to attend. If the operation marched as planned, Caraway´s name wouldn´t be implied in the whole incident, but if the sniper failed...

... Well, at least his daughter was in a safe place.

ooo ooo

Rinoa opened the gold-lined door, her head poking inside the dark room. White semi-transparent cloth hung from the ceiling in various parts of the chamber, the only furniture inside the room besides a low-cut expensive-looking chair in which a regal feminine figure sat. The Sorceress´s back was facing the door, her golden ornament was gone, although she still wore the black form-fitting dress and crimson mask she had days ago in Timber´s TV Station.

The raven-haired girl´s hand went to her pocket, the Odine bangle clutched firmly in her hand as she took a couple of paces towards the mysterious woman. Her footsteps echoed through the room, the deep silence broken by the intruder.

"Uhmm... Excuse, me..." Rinoa´s soft voice seemed obscenely loud in the quiet atmosphere. She halted a meter away from the Sorceress, her heart beating quickly as she tried to calm herself and force the next words to come "I´m... the daughter of Galbadian army... uhm... General Caraway...so, uhm... I think I should come to pay my respects.. because of my father and all... and I brought you a small gift..."

The woman in front of her didn´t move, her body remaining stiff rigid on her seat.

Encouraged by her lack of reaction, Rinoa´s resolve grew and she took a couple of paces towards the dark-attired woman.

_Rosie was wrong she doesn´t even suspect I have the bangle, my plan is worki..._

As she took another confident step, a blinding flash of light injured her eyes, her body shuddered as a terrible energy coursed through it and a powerful blast sent her flying across the room. She felt with a thud, the air forced out of her lungs as the magical energy sent shivers down her spine. Rinoa´s eyes opened to thin slits, her horror growing when she noticed the Sorceress position hadn´t changed a bit.

Her power was terrible...

The raven-haired´s eyes widened as the hand holding the golden bangle started shaking on its own account. She tried to let go of the Odine item, but her hand seemed to be pasted to the bracelet. Suddenly, her hand shot up in the air, bringing the terrified Rinoa along with it. Her body trembled as the Sorceress´s magic coursed through it again, the inmense energy traveling towards her head. A powerful invisible blast hammered Rinoa´s skull, knocking her out completely. Edea eased her telequinetic control over the raven-haired girl´s body, dropping the unconscious woman to the floor.

The Sorceress´s long pitch-black hair floated gently back to the interior of her ornamented headdress. At the same time, her crimson mask gleamed and retreated into itself, revealing a mature but beautiful face. Her dark violet makeup only accentuated the paleness of her smooth skin, tainted only by the golden veins painted on the left side of her face. The Sorceress eyes opened, her amber pupils gleaming with power briefly.

Edea raised from her seat. Behind her, Rinoa came slowly to her feet, her body swaying slightly from side to side as her eyes stared blankly to the front. The golden ornament at the Sorceress back unfolded like a pair of wings, white long strands of silk attached to it, further emphazising this condition. Finally ready, Edea walked graciously towards the closed doors, which at the Sorceress´s touch melted into a liquid substance, allowing her and the raven-haired girl to pass before returning to their solid condition. Their footsteps echoed through the corridor leading to the Palace´s rooftop, where a podium had been prepared especially for this occasion. The Galbadian President announced the Sorceress arrival and joined the crowd´s cheers as Edea covered the last meter between them. As she stepped into the podium, the citizens´ euphoria grew tenfold at the sight of their mighty new embassador.

ooo ooo

"Here she comes." muttered Irvine as his gaze directed upwards. Squall didn´t need his comment to realize the Sorceress was nearing, the cheers from the furthest part of the crowd had already told him just that.

Squall´s frown deepened as he stared at Edea´s pale face. An odd sensation filled him as he watched her slim form standing proudly at the podium.

He had seen that face before...

... but where?

Irvine´s voice cut off his reverie. "Hey.. that girl!!" the cowboy´s tone was a mixture between worry and surprise.

Squall turned to look at him briefly, thinking he might have recognized someone between the crowd, but finding the sharpshooter´s gaze was directed to the podium. Squall´s head shot upwards again, his eyes widening slightly as his gaze settled on the blue-cladded figure standing behind the Sorceress.

_... Rinoa?! _

_What the hell is she doing here? _

_Is this part of the operation? Why didn´t Caraway tell us? _

ooo ooo

Edea stood in silence as the cheers continued, a wicked grin forming on her violet lips as the Galbadians celebrated her arrival.

"... Lowlifes." Her stacato tone reverberated across the plaza. "Shameless filthy wretches."

ooo ooo

Instead of dying down, the people´s cheers increased as though celebrating the Sorceress´s insults.

Squall looked around, noticing the people´s empty eyes. _She´s controlling their minds..._ He turned quickly to face Irvine, the sharpshooter´s face seemed normal as he stared frowning at the podium.

_So Irvine´s not affected either... _

_Maybe our GF´s protect us from the Sorceress mental assault, at least in this massive scale. I highly doubt the Guardians´ protection would be useful against a direct attack._

Edea´s voice was heard again, the SeeD leader´s attention returning to her face.

ooo ooo

"How can you celebrate my ascension with such joy?" her cold ruthless voice continued her evil speech between the people´s cheers. "Hailing the one you have condemned for generations. Have you no shame?"

At her side, Deling was starting to feel uncomfortable. What was happening to the people? Why didn´t the cheers die down at the Sorceress´s harsh words? He looked at his far right where his consejals were standing. Their eyes stared blankly at the front while a huge smile lightened their faces as they seemed to be listening throughly at the new embassador´s speech.

"What happened to the evil, ruthless Sorceress from your fantasies? The cold-blooded tyrant that slaughtered countless men and destroyed many nations? Where is she now?" Edea´s voice raised as she spoke the last words, the cheers increasing their volume as well.

After a brief pause, the Sorceress´s tone became dark and low again "She stands before your very eyes to become your new ruler!" Her evil smile widened as she said "A new era has just begun."

Deling moved slightly towards her as he hesitantly asked "Edea... are you alright?" The mad look in the normally cold Sorceress sent shivers down his spine. Something was definitely wrong with his ambassador. He opened his lips to speak again, but the words caught in his throat as – with amazing speed and inhuman strenght – Edea´s left arm shot towards his chest, piercing his form like a sword.

"This is reality. No one can help you, so sit back and enjoy the show." said the Sorceress calmly as the President´s body went limp, his blood tainting the marble floor before a purple flame enveloped his insides, burning every organ and muscle in its path. The crowd´s frenzy increased as the dictator´s charred frame was thrown away like a ragdoll by his murderer.

"Rest assured you fools, your time will come..." said Edea as her eyes gleamed again with power. "This is just the beginning." The Sorceress tone increased as she smiled again "Let us start a new reign of terror! I will let you live a fantasy beyond your imagination!"

The cheers went louder, as the citizens watched their new leader turn around and walk into the Presidential Palace again. Edea´s gracious steps took her inside the small corridor. Suddenly remembering the blue-cladded fool who had dared to understimate her powers, the Sorceress´s evil smile returned as she brought her right arm up, summoning ancient magic as she muttered "Let us end this ceremony with a sacrifice."

ooo ooo

"Can´t see a damn thing from here!" exclaimed Zell, his wide opened eyes staring at the top of the Presidential Palace. "And what´s with that speech?!"

_Well, so far so good. _Thought Rosie as she watched at the nearest citizens, whose euphoria was still high due to Edea´s mental power.

_Hope Rinoa didn´t do anything stupid..._

A sudden loud thud made her gaze deviate. The raven-haired SeeD´s eyes widened in horror as a huge half-reptile, half-lion beast landed a few meters from her position. _Oh my God! The Iguion!!_ She thought frantically as she watched a second monster join the first before they quickly rushed towards the Presidential Palace.

"What the hell were those things?!" asked Zell as he approached Rosie.

"Whatever they are... they are going towards the sniper team´s position." replied the raven-haired before getting inside the golden archway.

_Damn you, Rinoa! _

_You had to come, didn´t you? Why don´t you ever listen?!_

Rosie made her way towards a small table located in the farthest part of the room, where her small item pouch rested. She fastened it to her holster, quickly unsheathing Reaper and checking the ammunition inside the barrel.

"What are you doing?" asked Selphie, who was climbing down the last couple of stairs as she looked at her friend.

"Squall and Irvine are in trouble." replied the raven-haired as she sheathed her weapon, her gaze never meeting the brunette´s. "I´m going to help them."

"B.. but we can´t leave our post!" said Zell

"And we can´t leave them on their own either!!" snapped angrily Rosie. She was tired of the other SeeDs´ mentality.

_What´s wrong with them?! Can´t they think outside of their mission duties? _

"I´m going to help them, whether you like it or not." said the raven-haired SeeD before bolting outside of the room.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note: _

_Thanks to all the reviewers! :D You´re always so encouraging! _

_I hope you like this chapter also, had a little trouble deciding which way to go, but thanks to a pretty good advice (thanks to Revir for that one :D Love ya, girl!!) I finally managed to finish this chapter, the largest so far._

_Anyway, remember all your comments are always welcome! _

_Oh! And Revir has updated more of her great drawings on Photobucket, so go take a look please. As always the forum Little Chest of Wonders is open to all of you, so please feel free to post a thread there or to reply to those already in existance._

_That´s all for now, but I´ll see you soon! :D_


	34. Chapter 34 Intervention

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII..._

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 34: Intervention**

By CelestialRage

Her steps were muffled by the cheering crowd. The raven-haired SeeD forced her way through the mass of Galbadian citizens, who delightfully waited to their new ruler´s apparition at the front of the parade and had apparently paid no attention to the 2 huge reptile-looking monsters that had been summoned by Edea´s boundless power, bolting towards the Presidential Palace´s rooftop at their master´s wish.

Rosie halted her advance and turned to look around her, barely able to make out Irvine´s dark cowboy-style hat in the distance.

ooo ooo

"Hey-hey-hey, she´s in trouble big time! We gotta save Rinoa!" exclaimed the sharpshooter as he shook Squall´s arm, his gaze fixed on the now empty podium.

To his surprise, the SeeD leader jerked himself free of Irvine´s grip, his frown deep as his cold voice replied "The parade hasn´t started. The gate´s not open."

_If we go in now, we´ll jeopardize the mission... _

The cowboy´s eyes narrowed in disbelief "You gotta be kiddin´!"

Squall had no chance to reply, as a feminine voice called his name. Both men turned around and looked amazed as the panting raven-haired SeeD covered the last meter between them.

Squall´s frown deepened as he asked "What are you doing here?"

_You should be with the other team..._

Rosie took a moment to regain her breath before replying to his query. "I saw those things and thought you could use some help."

"We don´t." The SeeD leader´s cold voice raised just enough so she could hear him. _The situation is already bad as it is... I don´t want to make it worse having more people involved in this. _Squall moved his head in the Gate´s direction as he said "You should get back to your post."

Rosie frowned but her reply never reached his ears as the gate to the Presidential Palace opened, the cheers from the crowd raising again, muffling the raven-haired SeeD´s words. Glorious fireworks announced the beginning of the parade, the sound they made as millions of colored lights emerged from their burning bodies joined the rhytmic beating of music. A group of dancers claded in extravagant clothing and masks joined the melody, swinging and gyrating in perfect coordination. Behind them, an imponent parade car illuminated by a huge blue neon circle resembling Garden´s golden floating ring made its way outside the gates. At the center of the car was a crimson and golden throne, glemaning slightly thanks to the torches that lined both sides of it.

And on the throne sat the new ruler of the Republic of Galbadia...

... the Sorceress.

But nothing shocked Squall more than the tall, proud-looking figure standing at Edea´s right side. A smile touched Seifer´s lips as he raised his gunblade saluting the cheering crowd, his gaze wandered through the mesmerized citizens´ faces.

_I thought he was dead... _

_How did he survive? _

_And why is he with the Sorceress? Then what Rosie said back in the TV Studio is true? Is he really Edea´s puppet? _

_And if he is... would he try to hold us back in case we attack her?_

"What are you waiting for? Now´s our chance!" Irvine´s words cut off Squall´s train of thought. He turned to look at the sharpshooter and nodded, before returning his gaze quickly to his right...

... but the raven-haired SeeD was no longer there.

ooo ooo

"There she goes." said Selphie as she watched Edea´s float turn slowly to the west part of the city, the cheers from the crowd forced her to raise her voice so the other SeeD could hear her over the noise.

Zell remained silent, his eyes narrowing as the white-cladded figure on top of the parade car caught his attention. Recognition beat him like a 2-ton Behemoth, the martial artist´s eyes opened wide as his nemesis waved his gunblade from one side to another. "That´s—"

Selphie turned to look at the blond SeeD as she asked "What did ya say?"

"SEIFER!!" exclaimed Zell, his gaze never leaving the man standing beside the Sorceress.

"Uh? Where?!" asked Selphie as her eyes wandered through the crowd, figuring the martial artist had probably seen someone resembling the arrogant teenager.

"There! On the float!" replied Zell as he pointed towards Seifer´s position.

Selphie´s eyes widened as she finally detected the blond cadet. "He was supposedly dead! What is he doing here?!" asked the tiny SeeD, turning towards the martial artist, whose stare was still fixed on the float´s occupants. "You think this is part of the operation?"

"Dunno." muttered Zell, shaking his head slightly. He finally turned to watch the brunette standing at his right and said "But we better tell Quistis."

Selphie nodded and hurriedly entered the Gate. Her steps growing weaker as she climbed the stairs, until the cheering around Zell finally muffled them. The martial artist frowned as Edea´s parade car moved out of his sight.

Hope Seifer´s not in for trouble...

Wonder what is Squall´s team going to do about him?

ooo ooo

"Rosie?" called out Squall as he turned around, his gaze wandering through the people around them.

"I´m here! What are you guys waiting for?" her voice raised slightly above the cheering noise, as her frame appeared from behind a fat, balding man a couple of feet away from the male SeeDs. As Squall´s mouth opened to say something, Rosie shook her head energically and said "Don´t waste your breath, Squall. I´m going with you and that´s the end of it, ok?"

"C´mon, both of you! Rinoa might die!" said Irvine as he started his way towards the gate, Rosie close behind him as the sharpshooter´s taller and broader frame opened a path easier than she could have. Squall walked in the rear, his eyes fixed one last time on the blond man standing beside the SeeD´s target before turning his attention to the most pressing matter at the time.

As they approached the main gates, the SeeDs noticed the guards were gazing at the Sorceress´s float, instead of keeping watch of the entrance.

At least, Edea´s charm spell was working on the SeeDs´ favor.

Rosie was the first to slid between the mesmerized soldiers, Irvine and Squall following her close. Once inside the Presidential Palace, the raven-haired SeeD recognized inmediately the truck they were supposed to use in order to get to the building´s rooftop.

"This way!" she said as she quickly ran towards the green parked truck. Rosie started to climb the crates, Squall behind her while Irvine´s eyes scanned the near grounds, spotting a couple of Galbadian soldiers, who also were entranced by the Sorceress´s mental assault. The SeeDs made their way to the top as fast as they could, their hurried footsteps echoing through the hall as they ran towards the Sorceress´s chamber. The door was opened, faint moans muffled slightly by the reptile-like creatures´ growls. Squall unsheathed Revolver as he stepped into the chamber, Rosie and Irvine following close, their guns prepared as well.

Rinoa´s limp form laid on the floor, blood covered her frame as the beasts had opened several large cuts along her body. Both monsters turned around to face the SeeDs, their mouths opened, producing a loud, menacing hissing sound and showing their blood-covered fangs.

Squall and Irvine charged, the first one raising his gunblade to meet the closest monster, while the cowboy shoot one of his powerful shotgun rounds to the other, the beast rolling slightly to its side as the bullet´s impact beat its hard armored-like flank. Rosie bolted towards the bleeding Rinoa, her curative magic ready to heal the other raven-haired girl´s badly injured body.

"We have to keep them away from Rosie and Rinoa." yelled Squall at Irvine, who nodded in understanding and shoot another round towards the monsters.

"It´s gonna be ok..." whispered Rosie to Rinoa´s ear as she placed her hands over the deep cuts across the raven-haired girl´s arms and chest, her healing magic flowing through the injuries, slowly closing the gashes. The battle sounds echoed through the chamber, Squall´s quick footsteps as he bolted towards a monster, the clanging of metal against the armored side of the Iguion and its subsecuent painful hissing. Irvine´s shotgun fired three times, the powerful blasts muffling Rinoa´s faint moans.

A sudden thud made Rosie turn around, a monster had fallen very near her position. The Iguion turned its face and hissed at her menacingly as it stood up. As quickly as she could, she aimed Reaper at the Iguion´s head, the Demmolition ammo finding its way through the reptile-like beast´s head, injuring it but not incapacitating the monster. She was about to shift her magic to an attack class, when Irvine´s shotgun went off again, the powerful blast reeling back the Iguion.

"C´mon, you bastard!" he yelled before releasing another Armor piercing bullet. The monster hissed painfully, and released a breath attack, the hot vapor spreading towards Irvine. He rolled to his side, clenching his right arm as the Iguion´s hot attack had injured him.

Rosie cast a quick Cure on the sharpshooter, her healing on Rinoa finally complete though the raven-haired girl was still semi-conscious. The female SeeD stood up, her magic shifting to attack mode, as she called forth a Blizzara. Her whole body shivered as the icy spell coursed through her brain towards the ends of her fingertips. It was the first second-class spell she had ever used and thanks to all the previous encounters, Rosie found it was less complicated to do so than she had thought. The air around the Iguion chilled, the creature turning to look at the spellcaster as it hissed again. Before the spell formed, however, the reptile beast growled, its body surrounded suddenly by a thin, green traslucent shield, the energy emanating from it making the chill air change its direction, the Blizzara returning to the raven-haired SeeD.

As quickly as she could, Rosie cast a Fira spell in front of her, hoping to dissipate her previous spell. Another hot blast joined hers, the chill air drying before it could injure its caster. The raven-haired turned to her left, where Irvine was standing, his arm coming down as he tipped his hat in her direction. She nodded in return and smiled before their attention returned to the still standing monster.

Squall was battling the second Iguion, his gunblade swinging from one side to the other as the monster sneaked pass his attacks like a snake. The SeeD leader jumped backwards, avoiding the Iguion´s assault as it aimed towards his throat. Squall charged again, the two-handed cleaving strike catching the monster´s back, opening a deep cut in the beast´s flesh. Revolver´s trigger was squeezed twice, the high-impact bullets piercing the Iguion´s flesh, injuring it further.

Rosie focused her energy, she had never drawn a Guardian Force from an unwilling being before, but at this point of the battle it was worth a try. Her mind reached the Iguion´s and she could feel the huge magical energy from the being concealed inside its brain. Quetzalcoatl´s energy channeled her wish, her Guardian pulling the other energy from the monster. A bright green light shinned for a second, illuminating the chamber before enveloping Rosie´s form and disappearing as the GF junctioned with the raven-haired SeeD.

Many things happened at once: Rosie fell to her knees as the sensation of having two entities inside her mind was jarring, their voices echoing through her brain and making her dizzy. Irvine casted a powerful Blizzara on the Iguion, the spell enveloping the monster despite its attempts at reflecting it against the sharpshooter. The beast hissed painfully before its body was frozen solid, Irvine raised his Valiant and shoot, the Armor piercing bullet opened a hole in the the Iguion´s belly, its frozen body shattering due to the impact. Squall pulled out his gunblade from the other monster´s back, the SeeD quickly spinning as he brought Revolver down, cutting off the remaining Iguion´s head.

As the monster´s now limp body collapsed to the floor with a thud, Squall spun around as he sheathed Revolver.

"You ok?" Irvine´s concerned voice echoed through the chamber. The sharpshooter was kneeling beside Rosie, who still held her head in a futile attempt to silence the voices inside her mind.

"Y-Yeah..." she shook her head energetically, trying to make the dizziness go away. _Don´t you guys ever SHUT UP?!_ thought Rosie angrily to the two Guardians junctioned to her mind. To her surprise, the voices died down at once, a faint growl that sounded more like an apology echoed inside her brain.

"What´s wrong?" asked Squall as he neared the other two SeeDs, his gaze settled on the raven-haired girl.

"Nothing, I´m okay." replied Rosie smiling as she slowly stood up. Irvine holding her arm to prevent her from falling again. "I just felt dizzy, that´s all." She turned to look at the cowboy and nodded before saying "Thanks, Irvine."

Squall´s frown deepened, a faint moan gaining the SeeDs attention. They turned and hurriedly walked near Rinoa, who was finally coming back to her senses. All her injures were gone thanks to Rosie´s magical assistance. The raven-haired girl´s eyes fluttered open, her gaze wandering from the crouching Irvine´s and Squall´s faces to Rosie´s while tears slowly ran down her cheeks.

"It´s over now." said Rosie in a reassuring way as she placed her hand on Rinoa´s shoulder.

The raven-haired girl sat up slowly, her lower lip trembling as the memory of the Iguions´ fangs cutting her flesh sent shivers down her spine. More tears flowed down her face as she whispered between sobs "I was so scared..." Rinoa´s arms shoot forward, closing around Rosie´s neck, catching the female SeeD completely by surprise. She returned the embrace lightly, trying to comfort the sobbing girl.

"I... I couldn´t... I just... couldn´t fight... alone..." Rinoa´s words were barely audible as her face was buried on the raven-haired SeeD´s shoulder.

Rosie was about to tell her off for getting all of them into trouble again, but decided against it. She would let it past... for now. Rinoa had already have a terrible night and she couldn´t dare to imagine what it would be like to slip into unconsiousness thinking you won´t be able to open your eyes again. At that moment, Rosie pitied their client, her near-death experience had been so terrible...

"It´s okay..." the raven-haired SeeD whispered back.

"We better get going." said Squall as he glanced at his watch before standing up. Rinoa let go of Rosie, her gaze locking with Squall´s as a frown formed in her face. The SeeD leader sighed slightly before saying "I haven´t fogotten your order. Just stay close and you´ll be fine."

Rinoa nodded slightly before she and Rosie stood up, the female SeeD helping the other raven-haired girl to her feet. Irvine, Squall and Rinoa started their way towards the hall, the sharpshooter´s words echoed through the room as apparently he had found the hatch leading to the clock tower. Rosie however, didn´t pay much attention to the cowboy, her mind replaying Squall´s last words.

"Just stay close and you´ll be fine."

He hadn´t say "_stay close to me..."_

Smiling a little at the slight change of words, Rosie started her way after the other teenagers.

ooo ooo

"What?!" Quistis´s eyes widened as Selphie retrieved the news about Seifer´s more than living body present in the parade. "You sure it was him?"

"Yeah! Who else wears a white trenchcoat and wields a gunblade?" said the tiny SeeD smirking as she placed her hands on her hips.

The blonde SeeD frowned, not in anger at Selphie´s comment but in concentration. What would they do about Seifer? The ex-instructor walked towards the small windowpane, her gaze wandering through the city, the cheers from the crowd reaching her ears as her mind wondered what the outcome would be.

She just hoped her inner fears wouldn´t come reality...

ooo ooo

Irvine kneeled near the hall´s right wall, his hands grabbing the edge of the hatch. As the sharpshooter opened the way towards the clock tower, Rosie gazed outside to the podium as the noise of the citizens reached them inside the hallway.

"This way." Irvine´s voice making her turn around. The hatch was open, a dark staircase leading to an even darker chamber laid beneath the hall´s floor. The sharpshooter entered first, his Valiant up and ready in case there were any soldiers roaming the place. Rinoa and Rosie behind him, Squall in the rear. Once they were inside and Irvine had scanned the place, the SeeD leader closed the hatch behind him, blue neon lights turning on as the lid descended.

Squall went down the stairs, his eyes detecting a faint metallic glow at his left. Turning quickly, a spell readied in his mind to incapacitate any possible threats, the SeeD leader found the gleam had come from the sniper rifle Caraway had told them about. The brunet walked towards it and picked the weapon up, surprised that its weight wasn´t too great despite the gun's large size. Though he didn´t know a lot about firearms, Squall had to admit the General had made a very good choice on the sniper rifle.

He turned around and held out the weapon as he said "Irvine Kinneas, it´s in your hands now."

The sharpshooter nodded and took the offered rifle. He held it in both hands and glanced at it once, checking the trigger and the scope. Apparently satisfied with the gun´s functionality, Irvine turned around and wordlessly walked to the other side of the room, getting as far from the other teens as possible. The sharpshooter sat down silently and closed his eyes before tilting his head down, the cowboyish hat covering his features.

Squall noticed Irvine´s sudden change but before he could voice his wonder, the sharpshooter´s words back on the train from Galbadia Garden to Deling city came to his mind.

Loneliness of the sharpshooter... guess he has a point

Rosie walked to the opossite side of the room, Rinoa following her close. Both girls respecting the cowboy´s meditating moment. They sat down on two of the twelve cylindrical bases surrounding a very large one, all of them had a crystal surface and what appeared to be a proyection equipment inside. Squall sat across the raven-haired girls, his head turned towards the hatch direction, as the complete silence of the room had caught his attention.

The cheering of the crowd couldn´t be heard inside the clock tower.

Squall frowned, his thoughts returning to the parade and wondering what was going on at that moment. His thoughts drifted from the mesmerized citizens to the Sorceress and the male figure standing proudly near her...

Seifer... he is under the Sorceress control too.

Or at least it seems so... Edea sure is powerful enough to easily break the protection his Guardians gave him...

But what if he switched sides willingly?

His gaze turned from the floor at his feet to the girls standing in front of him. His attention settled on Rinoa, whose tears had finally ceased and seemed to have controlled herself after the terrible experience she had mere minutes before. He cleared his throat before adressing his client.

"Rinoa." At the sound of her name, the raven-haired girl´s face turned upwards, her gaze locking with Squall´s icy stare. He spoke again "Seifer´s alive. He was in the parade with the Sorceress."

The SeeD leader´s eyes never turned to see Rosie´s reaction at his words, he kept his attention focused instead on Rinoa, whose eyes widdened at the news.

"... What does it mean?" asked the raven-haired girl, shaking her head lightly in confusion.

"Who knows." replied Squall shrugging.

Maybe he´s under her control, but if he´s not...

If he tries to stop me from getting to the Sorceress, I´ll have to get past him.

Even if it means killing him...

His frown deepened as the last thought replayed in his mind. He shook his head lightly, dismissing the sudden grip he felt in his gut.

That´s the way it goes as a SeeD. You can´t choose your enemies...

His mouth moved again, his voice held a sharp edge as he finally said "I may end up killing Seifer."

If Rosie had reacted to that statement, Squall didn´t turned to see, his stare still fixed on Rinoa as the raven-haired girl turned her face down, her large, black bangs covering her features.

When she finally spoke, her voice was weak but at the same time calm. "You´re both... prepared, right?" Squall was a little surprise at the understanding he could hear in her voice as she said "That´s the kind of world you live in..." She turned to face him, a weak smile touching her lips for a moment "But... of course, I´d rather it not happen."

The SeeD leader didn´t reply immediately. After a silent minute, he shrugged slightly and muttered "It all depends on Irvine." Without another word and sparing a quick glance at Rosie´s blank face, Squall stood up and turned around, making his way towards the silent sharpshooter.

As the SeeD approached, he noticed Irvine´s stance hadn´t changed. His demeanor, however, was quite a different one.

He was shaking.

"Don´t tell me you´re getting the jitters." muttered Squall as he crouched in front of the sharpshooter.

Irvine shook his head, his voice quivering as he finally said "I... I-I can´t do it."

ooo ooo

Edea´s float came again into view, the parade car finally had finished its circling of the city. Zell frowned as he looked at Seifer´s figure again. The martial artist glanced at his watch: just one more minute to go...

He quickly turned around and entered the Gate, closing the door behind him before hurriedly going up the stairs.

ooo ooo

The red numbers on the digital clock on top of the Presidential Palace finally reached 20:00:00 hours. A whoosh sound made the SeeDs and Rinoa's gazes shoot upwards, where the lid concealing the clock tower retreated, before the ground beneath their feet shook and started rising slowly, the night breeze greeting them as the clock tower ascended. When it was finally in its position, the proyectors turned on, creating holographic images resembling blue and purple-cladded clowns, gracefully turning around in circles on their places.

"Irvine!" called Squall in rage. He couldn´t believe the confident sharpshooter was backing off at this precise moment...

"I-I can´t... I´m sorry..." muttered the cowboy as he shook his head slightly. His eyes avoided Squall´s cold and piercing stare, shame filling his entire frame as he faced the reality of his condition. "I try to act cool, joke around... but in the end, the thruth is... I can´t handle the pressure..."

Stop making excuses!

Squall´s voice became colder as the situation seemed even more desperate "Forget it. Just shoot." If Irvine didn´t overcome this nervous lapsus, the mission was over...

ooo ooo

Edea´s float approached the Gate, the cheering growing louder around the golden archway. The Sorceress glanced around at the mesmerized fools and smiled as she reclined comfortably on her crimson throne. Her gaze went upwards at the exquisitively decorated arch, a frown forming on her face as she had the sudden impression someone was looking outside the small windowpane on top of the Gate.

ooo ooo

"Instructor, hit the switch!" yelled Zell as he turned his face from the window to the blonde woman standing on the furthest corner of the room.

Quistis´s hand gripped the lever...

Good luck Irvine.

... and pulled it down.

ooo ooo

An extremedly loud metallic crack sound echoed through the main avenue. The people´s cheers died down a little as the black spikes from the gate started their way down, quickly descending until they pierced the highway with a loud crash.

Edea´s slim figure raised from her throne, the Sorceress´s eyes narrowed in anger and disbelief of the trap that had been released on her. The sound of a reeling chain rang behind her, making her turn around in time to see the second massive gate fall.

She had been contained...

ooo ooo

The sound the metallic gate made as it colided with the paved ground reached Squall´s ears. The gateway team had successfully completed their part on the operation. Irvine, however, was still muttering about changing the history of the world.

"Enough! Just shoot!" yelled angrily Squall.

"I can´t dammit!" snapped Irvine, his narrowed gaze finally meeting Squall´s.

"Irvine..." Rosie´s voice came from behind them. Her soft tone was quite a contrast to the SeeD leader´s sharp voice. She made her way quickly towards them "I know you can do it." she said reasurrenly as she crouched beside Squall.

The cowboy shook his head "No, I can´t..."

"Even if you miss, it´ll be okay, right?" said Rosie, her face turning to see Squall as she said the last word, obviously seeking his reasurrance.

The SeeD leader nodded and decided to play along, if it made the sharpshooter feel confident enough to take the shot. "Yeah, whatever happens leave the rest to us." A sudden idea formed in his brain "Think of it as a sign to make our move."

"A sign?" muttered Irvine

Rosie nodded emphatically "Yeah, just a sign."

"... Just a sign..." the cowboy repeated, his voice barely audible as his mind gripped this new concept. The sharpshooter sat up straight, the rifle moved slowly, its barrel set on the clock tower´s edge.

... Just a sign.

Irvine´s right eye settled on the scope as he began his search for the target on the parade´s float. Rosie could see him stiffen, his frown deepening as his finger tightened around the trigger. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the gun went off, a thin column of smoke leaving the rifle´s cannon as the high-caliber bullet crossed the dark sky with lightening speed.

ooo ooo

Edea´s left hand shot upwards, a blueish blinding light illuminating the whole float as she casted a protective barrier on herself. The deflected bullet fell at her feet with a clanging metallic sound. Her amber eyes gazed down to the now useless proyectile, before she directed her narrowed stare towards the clock tower.

ooo ooo

"... I failed..." muttered Irvine, his frame finally relaxing against the cold floor. He turned to look at Squall "I´m sorry."

The SeeD leader shook his head before saying "It´s ok. The aim was perfect." He stood up, taking a deep breath as he checked his junctions one last time.

It was his turn now.

"Let´s go." Rosie´s voice at his right side, made him turn towards her. She smiled as their eyes met. "I´m going with you." she said as she unsheathed Reaper.

Squall was about to protest, but he didn´t have time to waste in an argument with the raven-haired SeeD. He nodded before turning to Irvine "Take care of Rinoa." The sharpshooter nodded in understanding and watched as both SeeDs quickly made their way out of the clock tower.

As Squall reached the podium, Revolver left its sheath. He glanced down as the cheering had been replaced by the sound of a full-blown riot. The Galbadian citizens were fighting the soldiers as they tried to control the frenzied crowd, now free from Edea´s mind grip. Not far from their position, the SeeD leader was able to see a blue convertible car. Squall glanced back at Rosie who seemed to be looking for a viable spot to jump.

"Follow me!" He said before jumping down, Revolver held high as the SeeD spotted a Galbadian soldier beating up a civilian. The trooper cast the poor man aside before turning his face up and raising his shield to meet the SeeD´s blade. A spark lighted the scene for a second as both items collided, however, thanks to Squall´s enhanced strenght and his momentum, the soldier was unable to contain his attack and fell unconscious to the floor, a couple of his bones fractured due to the impact. Squall moved forward, the sound of Rosie´s fall making him go faster. He ducked down an outstretched arm before parrying a soldier´s blade. His attacker fell to his knees as a Thunder spell – casted by Rosie – stroke him, leaving Squall´s path towards the car free.

Squall leaped inside the vehicle, an electrical spell ready in his mind to start the engine. However, he didn´t need to use it as the car´s owner had left the keys in the ignition. Rosie casted another Thunder spell at a soldier behind her before opening the passenger´s door and getting inside the car. Seconds later, the vehicle sped outside the court of the building towards the Gate.

"And I thought Selphie was a mad driver!" exclaimed the raven-haired SeeD as she held for dear life when Squall hit the brake, making the car spin to its left and collide against the black, metallic gate.

The SeeD leader leaped out of the vehicle and through the dark bars. Without waiting for Rosie, Squall jumped onto the float, his magical-enhanced muscles making it an easy task. He landed in a crouching position, his gaze lifting to face the tall dark-cladded woman standing in the furthest part of the parade car. Squall stood up slowly as the man attired in the white trenchcoat took a couple of steps in his direction.

"You arrive at last, Squall." said Seifer, Hyperion resting casually on his shoulder, a wide smirk adorning his face. "Finally our destiny is clear."

Squall didn´t reply, instead he unsheathed Revolver, his cold blue gaze never leaving Seifer´s face.

"Yeah! That´s what I´m talking about!" said the blond smiling as he watched his rival´s actions. "You see? We were destined to fight each other. All the training was just for this moment... A final duel, between you and me. Only we didn´t know the circumstances around it." He glanced at their surroundings and said "Well, this is how it turned out."

Squall smirked slightly as he shook his head. "So you´ve become the Sorceress´s lap dog?"

Seifer snickered before replying "I prefer to be called her Knight." Hyperion was raised in front of the blond man. Squall´s grip on Revolver tightened as his eyes met Seifer´s narrowed green ones.

Nothing unusual about them... He´s the same as always.

Then why?

Why is he on the Sorceress´s side?

"Don´t you see Squall?" Seifer´s voice cut off his train of thought "This is my dream! And I´m not letting you shatter it!"

The blond charged, both gunblades colliding as Squall raised Revolver to parry Hyperion´s deathly strike. Sparks flew as both men refused to give their rival an inch. Seifer casted a Fira spell, which was deflected by a protective barrier Rosie cast as she finally reached the top of the float.

"Seifer, don´t!" yelled the raven-haired as she looked at the blond man.

A sudden spell struck Rosie, her conection with her GFs and magic was broken. "Stay out of this, Kid." growled Seifer after he casted the Silence spell.

Squall spun around quickly, sending his elbow hard on Seifer´s back, the blond man almost loosing his footing. He turned quickly, bringing Hyperion up to parry Revolver´s subsecuent blow. Seifer sent a kick to Squall´s stomach, the SeeD´s body retreating due to the impact. The blond casted another Fira spell, this time Squall evaded it by rolling to his side as he brought Revolver up again.

Rosie stood mesmerized by both men's fast and fluid moves. Their styles were so different, yet deeply alike. Seifer was more agressive than Squall, whose attacks were definitely better planned, but neither of them back down, their strong and agile bodies going around in circles in what appeared to be a deathly dance.

Attack

Parry

Parry

Dodge

Attack

Dodge

Attack

Attack

Her heart skipped a beat as Squall retreated a pace, his left hand bleeding slightly. Seifer looked amusedly at the crimson liquid staining the tip of his gunblade.

"How´s that, Squall?" he said grinning before his gaze narrowed again, his voice getting colder as he said "You´re mine."

The SeeD didn´t reply, his arm was injured but he could still keep Seifer´s rythm. The characteristic sound of a cocking gun, however, made both men turn to look at the raven-haired girl still standing on the furthest corner of the float. Rosie´s eyes were gleaming as a near torch illuminated her face, Reaper held tight in front of her and aiming directly at Seifer´s heart.

"No more, please..." although Rosie´s mouth moved, no sound came from her lips. Seifer´s Silence spell had been quite powerful. The raven-haired SeeD ignored this fact, her words and eyes directed to the blond man standing a couple of meters from her "Seifer... please, stop..."

"C´mon, Kid. Surely you don´t want to shoot me, now do you?" Seifer said in his trademark condecending tone as a smile spread through his features.

Rosie´s grip on Reaper tightened as she bit her lower lip. She had never killed anyone in her life, and certainly the least she wanted was to harm Seifer, but...

"Rosie"

Squall´s voice made her head turn slightly towards him. He wasn´t looking at her, his eyes still watching his rival's every move. "Don´t worry, leave this to me."

Seifer laughed disdainfully "You sound way too confident, Squall."

The SeeD ignored the blond's comment, his words still directed at the raven-haired girl. "His blood won't be the first to stain your hands."

Rosie´s head turned completely in Squall's direction, her grip on Reaper relaxing a little as well. Seizing his chance to attack, Seifer bolted towards the raven-haired girl, who turned around in time to see the blond charging against her.

Reaper went off.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note:_

_Hey everyone!! :D_

_Thanks for the reviews, they´re encouraging as always. I hope you like this chapter, it´s almost as large as the last one. Sorry for not posting more than one at the time, but writing chapters this long is extremely tiring. Anyway, I´m already working on the next chap, hope to have it ready for Tuesday. :D_

_I´m beginning school tomorrow, so it´s probable I won´t be able to update frequently, but don´t worry I´ll keep up with this story._

_Love ya all!!_


	35. Chapter 35 Witches Hour

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 35: Witches´ hour**

By CelestialRage

Rosie laid on her rear, the raven-haired girl had lost her footing as she backed away from Seifer´s gunblade. The smoking gun was still in her right hand, her wide eyes focused on the winged lion carved on Revolver´s hard surface.

Squall´s gunblade parried Hyperion´s murdering intent.

The SeeD sent a Fire spell against the Knight, Seifer leaped back, avoiding the hot blast. Squall followed him, his fury escalating and forcing the blonde man to defend himself.

All signs of Seifer´s cocky attitude were gone as Squall´s onslaught continued. Fortunatelly for the young Knight, Rosie´s bullet had done nothing more than scratch the side of his left arm, quite a minor inconvenience as he didn´t need to use it to wield his gunblade.

Hyperion and Revolver collided again, more sparks flying as the sharp blades battled one another. Squall dodged a slash aimed at his head, counterattacking Seifer with a low kick. The blond man jumped, avoiding the blow and continued his attack.

Both men were equal in skill, they had had practice sesions with one another since they were kids and knew the fighting style of their rival quite well, which made the match grow more even with each passing minute. The SeeD and the Knight´s resistance and willpower were the only possible odds that could decide the duel´s outcome.

The entire world seemed to have gone silent, the only sounds Rosie could hear were the clanging of the blades as Squall and Seifer´s battle went on. Both rivals dodging, parrying and attacking with the same strenght and agility, the dance going on for what seemed an eternity.

Finally, a painful groan left the Knight´s throat, Hyperion flew from his hand as blood, leaked from his right side. Squall´s panting figure loomed over the fallen man, his gunblade tightly clenched as his left hand left crimson drops all over the float.

The SeeD shook his head slightly as he coldly said "Seems you´re loosing it, Seifer."

A sudden move at his right made Squall´s attention shift from the blond man at his feet to the black-cladded woman standing a couple of meters away from him. The Sorceress´s amber eyes narrowed as she glanced at the victorious teenager, whose stance had changed, his gunblade lifted again to shield himself from the witch´s attacks.

"A SeeD..." her sharp and cold voice said "An acurssed SeeD planted in a run-down Garden."

Squall´s eyes narrowed as well, his icy blue stare locking with Edea´s golden one as a sudden, unatural breeze started blowing, catching the Sorceress silken 'wings' making them float slightly behind her slim frame.

ooo ooo

"C´mon, we´re getting close!" yelled Rinoa as she and Irvine made their way as quickly as they could towards the Gate.

The riot was still on and the two teenagers were having little difficulties to pass along the frenzied crowd. The Galbadian soldiers were still trying to control the mass, their posts abandoned and letting the youngsters slip unadverted all the way to where the battle against the Sorceress was starting.

ooo ooo

Quistis, Selphie and Zell descended hurriedly the stairway, their junctions, magic and weapons ready to support their leader in the inevitable battle.

At the ex-instructor´s request neither the martial artist, nor the brunette girl had tried to intervene in the fight between Seifer and Squall. The blonde woman knew neither man would have wanted anyone else to involve in their affair.

They had a score to settle...

... one Squall had finally won.

ooo ooo

Rosie cast a Cure on the SeeD leader's injured left arm, the bleeding stopping immediately, leaving the limb as good as new and ready to fight again. She had used one of the Echo Screens inside her small item pouch and for a second she was quite glad they had been able to restock before the mission started.

The raven-haired SeeD stood beside Squall, her weapon drawn and ready, although deep inside, she was trembling. Rosie had never imagined the terrible power emanating from Edea´s lithe and fragile-looking frame could be actually real. She had already had a taste of the woman´s terrible magic but at that time, the Sorceress aimed only to contain a pesky morsel.

This time, however, her intent would be to kill them.

Squall shifted a little at her side and although Rosie didn´t spare a look at him, she was quite glad he was at her side, the mere idea making her fear begin to fade slowly.

"_Just stay close and you´ll be fine."_

The words the SeeD leader had told Rinoa, came back to her mind. She smiled inwardly and nodded.

As long as she was near him, she felt safe.

Finally, Squall moved. Revolver held tight as he bolted towards Edea. Rosie squeezed Reaper´s trigger, the bullet meeting the same fate as Irvine´s previous intent. The Sorceress calmly brough her right hand up, a massive blue translucent shield forming all around her, succesfully deflecting the Demmolition ammo and parrying Squall´s slash. The gunblade clanged as though it had met solid rock.

Not surprised, the SeeD leader turned around, his gunblade slashing again the blue dome, while Rosie sent a Fira spell, both attacks never reaching their target. The Sorceress smiled evily, her amber eyes focusing on Squall as she called forth a tiny part of her boundless power. A fire blast exploded right in front of the SeeD, reeling him backwards, his chest scorched by the powerful attack. His injures, however, were not as bad as they could have been without the Fire protection given to him by the Flame Lord junctioned to his mind.

Rosie used another healing spell on him. Edea gestured calmly towards the raven-haired girl, a powerful lightning stricking the female SeeD's form. She winced as the jolt coursed through her body. It was painful but not as much as she had thought it would be, Quetzalcoatl´s elemental affinity decreasing the damage greatly.

Rosie still stood, thin columns of smoke leaving her body while the raven-haired girl called forth a Blizzara. This time, Edea didn´t shield behind her blue barrier. Instead, her hand motioned forward, huge flames erupting in front of her and drying the SeeD´s spell instantly. With another gesture, the fire advanced towards the teenagers, Rosie and Squall shielding themselves behind a Shell spell. The flames enveloped their crouching forms, as they focused all their energy in keeping the magical protection up and running.

A gun went off somewhere behind them. Edea´s blue barrier reflecting the bullet as her eyes narrowed again, her stare focused on the arriving teenagers. Her flame spell receded as her attention was drawn from the first couple of SeeDs to the door leading to the interior of the Gate as it suddenly shot open, 3 more SeeDs appearing behind it.

"Off with you!" yelled the Sorceress as she motioned towards Quistis, Zell and Selphie, a powerful gush of wind sending them back inside the Gate. Her amber eyes gleamed with her magical energy and the door slammed shut, containing the 3 SeeDs inside. "I´ll take care of you later." said Edea smiling before returning her attention to the remaining teenagers.

"You cool with us helping you?" asked Irvine as he cocked Valiant.

"You´re more than welcome." replied Rosie, standing up and readying her magic once more.

"We have to break her barrier." muttered Squall as he brought Revolver up again, his mind reaching out to one of the entities junctioned to him. "Our attacks are useless unless we do it."

Edea watched calmly, amused, as the 4 teenagers stood in a ready stance, their whispered conversation out of her earshot, though the Sorceress could imagine what the SeeDs were discussing.

Let the fools try to overpower her!

She hadn´t even started to warm up yet.

ooo ooo

Zell jerked his hand back from the doorknob. The martial-artist had barely touched it when a powerful jolt shook his entire frame painfully.

"Get aside!" yelled Quistis as she focused, her blue eyes gleaming with red energy. The blonde SeeD aimed at the door and released her attack. To her surprise, a translucent layer contained her blast, the magical barrier becoming crimson-coloured as the energy of Quistis´s Blue Magic was absorbed by whatever spell Edea had casted on the door.

A deep, powerful growl reached the SeeDs ears, making their hearts skip a beat. Someone had summoned his or her Guardians.

ooo ooo

Ifrit´s colossal frame stood between the SeeDs and the Sorceress. The Guardian growled menacingly again as though daring the black-cladded woman to try her magic on it. Edea´s stance didn´t change, her eyes narrowing slightly at the sight of the Flame Lord.

Squall bolted forward, Ifrit covering his advance with his powerful Fire elemental magic. Edea´s blue barrier returned as did the Sorceress´s smile. The other SeeDs were on the move as well, Irvine aimed his weapon at the older woman, a deep frown on his face as he hesitated for a second before finally pulling the trigger. Rinoa used her magic, Fire spells joining Ifrit´s attack, while Rosie kept an inner dialogue with her new Guardian, asking for its protection against the Sorceress´s magic.

Edea´s barrier deflected Revolver and absorved all the magic the GF and Rinoa cast against her.

A disdainful laugh left the Sorceress´s lips "SeeD! Is that all you´ve got?!" Her smile widened as she said "How boring!"

The witch´s arms crossed in an X over her chest, seconds later 3 huge icycles emerged from the float´s floor and, as Edea´s arms went down in a quick motion, shattered in thousands of pieces.

Rosie had finished her summon, the tiny Guardian appearing from a hole his power produced on the float´s floor which, at the raven-haired girl´s request, was located behind Ifrit so the massive Flame Lord´s frame could hide Carbuncle from the Sorceress´s range of view. The green rabbit-like creature glanced around, locating his summoner and her allies, the ruby attached to its head gleamed softly before the GF released its powerful protective magic around each SeeD. Its job done, Carbuncle squeaked delightfully and disappeared.

Edea hadn´t seen the tiny GF, but if Rosie thought she hadn´t noticed the magic it had used, she was sadly mistaken. She could sense other class of support magic being casted by one of the SeeDs, but paid no real attention to it. The Sorceress´s primal focus was to eliminate the threat Ifrit´s presence represented.

She gestured to her sides and the ice particles began swirling in circles forming a wide, moving, frozen ring. Ifrit increased its body heat, the flames coming from its frame growing thicker and larger. The Guardian growled and formed its trademark huge fire ball, focusing his power on the Sorceress´s ice magic.

The float was enveloped by steam as both spells colided. Ifrit lunged forward to attack Edea directly, the GF´s form disappearing into the thick fog. A second later, however, all its plans to injure the Sorceress vanished as the woman transformed the steam into a huge water bubble, trapping the Guardian inside. Ifrit´s situation got worse when, with an evil smile on her face, Edea gestured again, freezing the GF´s trap. The Flame Lord groaned painfully as it raised the temperature around it, trying to melt the Sorceress´s cage away.

The Guardian fell to its knees, a steaming puddle of clear water laid on the float around Ifrit´s panting frame. Edea´s smile widened as she gazed at the GF´s pathetic figure. However, her happiness faded when the Flame Lord´s head raised, its fiery eyes locking with her amber ones and a very unusual gesture showing on its feline face...

... Ifrit was actually _smiling_.

As the GF´s physical form transformed into a red and amber light as it returned to its master´s mind, a shout reached Edea´s ears.

"NOW!"

The Sorceress´s head turned just as six powerful Dispel spells reached her barrier at once, the magical protection surrounding her shattering like a broken mirror, the blue transparent pieces disappearing on thin air before they touched the floor.

Squall was already on the move, Revolver prepared to strike as he slipped past Edea´s barrier. The Sorceress had been too preocupied with the Flame Guardian to notice as the SeeDs drew some Dispel magic from her, the power of the spells enhaced thanks to the Double magic Rinoa had cast on them.

The SeeD leader´s blade shot forward...

... and was barely contained by the spell Seifer cast to protect the Sorceress.

Edea´s right side was bleeding, the injure, however, was far from being lethal. Her amber eyes widened as she looked at the tip of Squall´s gunblade inside the Protect dome around her.

"Imprudent SeeD!" screamed the Sorceress in rage as she held her bleeding flank, her eyes narrowing dangerously and focusing on the offender.

Squall´s body froze in place as his mind went mute, Edea´s power binding him completely and throwing him a couple of feet away. Air left his lungs as the Sorceress´s magical grip on him returned, forcing him to stand up as an unnatural breeze blew stronger around the black-cladded woman.

ooo ooo

Rosie´s eyes widened in horror. She knew what was going to happen next and for what she had seen during the battle, her Fira or Shell magic could do nothing against the powerful spell Edea was about to cast.

The raven-haired SeeD turned to Squall´s position and ran...

ooo ooo

The atmosphere chilled.

Edea brought a hand up, blue sparkles floating through her entire frame until they reached her claw-like fingers. Her eyes narrowed again as an evil smile crept to her face. Her hand shot forward, the blue sparkles flying towards the paralyzed SeeD, their shape shifting in middair to thick, frozen spears.

ooo ooo

Squall´s will fought the Sorceress´s grip, his right arm slowly starting to move as he unsuccessfully tried to access his magic stores. As Edea´s hand shot forward, the Sorceress´s view was blocked by Rosie´s approaching frame, the raven-haired SeeD running as fast as she could towards him.

_What the hell is she doing?!_ Squall thought frantically as the raven-haired´s body settled between him and the incoming spell.

ooo ooo

Sparing one last glance at the SeeD leader's face, Rosie closed her eyes, cringing a little at the thought of the pain to come, one she had gladly accepted in order to save him. Immediately after, the raven-haired girl felt something pushing her hard aside, the cold from Edea's spell chilling her entire body, as the tip of the ice spear approached.

Dark eyes opened wide as the pain registered, however it wasn´t as terrible as she thought it would be.

When she noticed the reason of this, her heart froze.

Squall had used his right arm to shove her aside enough so the ice spear wouldn´t injure her gravely, the Sorceress´s spell scratching her left shoulder as it continued its path through its real target, piercing the SeeD leader's right shoulder and part of his upper chest.

Not even Carbuncle's protective barrier had been able to parry Edea's deadly magic and now, despite her best effort, her worst fear had become a reality.

Both SeeDs fell to the float´s floor, Squall landing on his back, Rosie on her knees and hands. She crawled quickly to the badly injured SeeD's side, calling his name in anguish, the pain of her heart vanishing the one of her bleeding shoulder.

"No, please..." her voice was weak as tears streamed down her face, her shaky hands over the brunet´s chest. Rosie looked at the large icycle emerging from Squall´s shoulder, her right hand gripping the frozen spear as her mind called forth a Fire spell. She was so focused in the task at hand, she hadn´t noticed the other 2 SeeDs had quickly bolted to their side, Rinoa kneeling across the other raven-haired girl, calling Squall´s name as well and readying a healing spell as Rosie continued to slowly melt the Sorceress´s magical weapon.

Squall´s body shook in utter exhaustion and cold, the frozen sensation spreading through his body, making him grow number with each passing second and forcing him to fight in order to breathe. His azure eyes started to shut, but he forced them open as Rosie´s frightened voice filled his ears.

"Stay with me, Squall." She pleaded as her right hand softly landed on his cheek, her left was still trying to melt Edea´s spell. Her gaze turned from his face to the ice spear in his shoulder as she frantically tried to stop her tears and keep manipulating the Fire magic correctly. "Everything´s going to be fine" she said smiling weakly at him. "Just keep your eyes on me, ok? Don´t fall asleep yet..." Her voice faltered a little in the last part, she wouldn´t say '_... you might not wake again ...'_

He blinked tiredly but didn´t look away from her face.

ooo ooo

Edea´s cold gaze was fixed on the SeeDs in front of her, who seemed to have completely forgotten about her.

"Fool." She muttered as her eyes settled on the fallen man. The Sorceress´s right hand went to her injure, her powerful healing magic closing the bleeding wound immediately. She then turned her attention to her Knight and smiled as she willed his injures to vanish as well.

Seifer raised to his feet, his gaze fixed on the teenagers at the other side of the platform. The Sorceress's voice made him turn around to face her as he slowly knelt before Edea.

"You've done well, my Knight."

"Thank you my Sorceress" he bowed his head slightly at the older woman's compliment. "What is your wish?"

Edea remained silent for a couple of minutes, considering her options.

She had greatly understimated the SeeDs, considering the mercenaries nothing more than morsels. But these teens were different, they had been able to injure her and, had it not been for her Knight's protection, their leader could had even killed her. The Sorceress's eyes narrowed as she remembered the battle against the SeeD leader's GF.

How clever of him to use Ifrit as a decoy!

He knew she would focus her efforts in defeating the Guardian first, considering it a threat greater than the SeeDs themselves and thus, leaving herself exposed to the real danger. He had noticed she was overconfident during the battle and had planned a strategy based on her weakness.

But it was a mistake she wouldn't repeat.

Edea's tone had a hard edge as she finally voiced her decision. "Take them to the Desert Prision and interrogate them. I want to know everything about SeeD." her right hand went up as did the front gate, the Galbadian soldiers at her command finally able to reach the place where the SeeDs stood.

Without another word, the dark-cladded woman turned her back on the teenagers and took a couple of paces before vanishing on thin air.

Seifer's eyes narrowed as the Sorceress's words registered in his mind. Why would she want to risk having the teenagers prisioner if he could satisfy her curiosity? He had lived in Garden as far back as he could remember...

... however... he wasn't a SeeD.

His frown deepened as he watched Rosie finally melting the icycle, Rinoa's healing spell being cast already.

_Maybe there was something Cid revealed them once they acquired SeeDship. And that's what she really wants to know..._

The blond teen shrugged slightly as he looked at the Galbadian batallion that had surrounded the SeeDs. The Knight's trademark smirk returned as he sheathed Hyperion and confidently walked towards the fallen body of his life-long rival.

He would have quite fun interrogating his former comrades and Squall was definitely the first in his list.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note: _

_Hi again!!_

_I´ve always liked the fight between Seifer and Squall at the end of disc one, especially because it´s one-on-one, guess it´s the best way to go with these two. I wanted Rosie to keep away from this battle, because I´ve always thought that Squall would want to settle things with Seifer on his own, he´s his rival after all, don´t you think?_

_As you can see, they barely managed to scratch Edea and she hasn't even started to show her real power :D mwhahahaha_

_See ya soon!!_


	36. Chapter 36 Flowers and monsters

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII..._

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 36: Flowers and monsters **

By CelestialRage

He stretched his back´s muscles, a loud crack echoing through the room as Laguna released a relieved sigh. His head turned to look at the small single bed he had slept in. The previous owner was, at least, one head and a half shorter than him and, although every night he returned too tired to care, the dark-haired man bowed tomorrow he´ll buy another bed.

Laguna´s gaze turned to the window in front of his tiny matress, the bright summer sunshine announcing the arrival of another beautiful day in the small town of Winhill. A smile formed in his lips as the birds´ songs reached his ears as they had done every morning for almost eight months now. The dark-haired man finally got up, his heavy footsteps echoing through the woodened floor as he moved from one side of the other of the room, getting ready for another hard-work day.

Finally ready, he spared another look at the small mirror that hung on the north wall of an equivalent small bathroom. His hair was slighly longer than the shoulder lenght he wore in the Galbadian military and his clothes had changed too.

He no longer wore the blue and silver G-uniform, the only memento from those days were the dog tags he still wore around his neck. Laguna adjusted his blue jacket over the white shirt he wore underneath, placed his item pouch around the hips of his black pants and grabbed his dark fingerless gloves from the small side table before walking back inside the bedroom.

The dark-haired man kneeled and searched under the bed for a second before producing his trademark machine-gun. As Laguna inspected the weapon´s barrel, the sound of small, quick footsteps made the ex-soldier to turn his attention towards the door a couple of seconds before a small but undeniable cute face, poked through the entrance.

"Uncle Laguna! there´s someone here to see yoo." said the small brunette girl smiling as brightly as the summer sun.

Laguna´s smile widened at the sight of little Ellone. She always found a way to cheer him up and he was thankful his rambling trips had led him all the way here. Holsting his machine-gun, the dark-haired man stood up.

"Me? What´s this person look like?" asked Laguna as he bent down slightly to face the five-year-old girl better.

Ellone seemed to consider the answer briefly before shrugging and replying matter-o-factly "He was wearin´ funny clothes." She smiled again and said "He´s tawking to Raine right now."

Laguna frowned. "Is he at the pub?"

The little girl nodded. "Yup. That´s why I come here to get yoo, Uncle Laguna!" Noticing the dark-haired man´s demeanor, Ellone asked "Am I a good girl?"

"No, you´re not." replied the ex-soldier calmly. "I´ve already told you Ellone, it´s dangerous to be out there by yourself." He placed his hands on his hips as he asked "What if a monster comes and attacks you?"

Ellone rolled her eyes slightly as she replied whinning a little "It´s only next door!"

Laguna shook his head emphatically "It´s still dangerous" He crouched to be eye-level (or at least as near as he could come to that) with the tiny girl, his tone softening as he continued his case "And since you´re such a cute girl, monsters would be especially after you!" His arms shoot forward, circling Ellone´s shoulders "They´ll catch you.." his mouth feigning to bite the girl´s neck "... and they´ll suck all your blood out!"

Ellone chuckled like crazy, struggling in the dark-haired man´s arms. When he finally released her, a wide smile adorned his features as he said "See? That´s why you can´t be outside on your own. If anything like that should happen Uncle Laguna´s going to cry."

To his surprise, the tiny girl smiled back and said "I´ll be ok. I´ll just call yoo, Uncle Laguna. You´ll come and rescue me, right?" Before he could reply, Ellone bolted out of the room.

Startled, the dark-haired man scrambled back to his feet. "H-Hey! Ellone, wait!" He bolted downstairs, finally releasing a breath he wasn´t even conscious he was holding as the small figure came into view. Ellone smiled and turned around to face him and as he approached her.

"I waited! Am I a good girl now?" she asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.

Laguna couldn´t help but chuckle as he ruffled her soft brunette hair. "Yeah, you´re a good girl." The ex-soldier looked around at the small room they were in. The north wall, just below the stairs, was filled with holes.

Bullet holes.

His frown returned as he glanced at the memento of Ellone´s parents tragical deaths. Although he hadn´t been here when the incident occurred, Raine had told him about it when she showed him around the house. She had offered to store all the furniture in the cottage behind the pub, but Laguna had refused, figuring Ellone wouldn´t want all her parent´s things out of view. His stare settled on the west side of the room, where a mahogany desk stood. The dark-haired man walked towards it, his hand grabbing the only object on the wooden surface.

A smiling middle-aged couple returned his stare. The husband was hugging his wife as she craddled a chubby brunette baby. "Dear Ellone´s father and mother, Ellone has been a good girl today." He said to the picture before turning to face the five-year-old "Right?"

She smiled widely and replied "Yup."

Laguna´s smile returned as well as he carefully placed the portrait back on its place. He walked towards the front door, opened it and pocked his head out., scanning the exterior for any possible threats. His gaze traveled through the other houses around the central plaza, the quiet atmosphere interrupted only for a small Galbadian garrison of around 20 men more or less.

Due to the hostilities with the eastern country of Esthar, Galbadia had been forced to display small but heavy-armed units throughout all its territory. The war Sorceress Adel had started in order to expand her dominion had been up for almost two years now. Raine had told him that during the attack Winhill suffered almost a year ago – and in which Ellone´s parents died – the Estharian soldiers were looking for little girls to kidnap, most likely so Adel could choose her succesor...

... but if they dared to come again, _he_ was more than ready to face them if needed be.

Finding no immediate threats, Laguna scooped the tiny girl up and walked towards the pub. When he opened the door, the fragance of the large, white flowers Raine used to have inside the local reached his nose. He loved that scent, but despite his best efforts, he couldn´t remember the damn flower´s name.

A door opening to his left caught his attention. When he turned his head to regard the newcomer, a warm smile spread through his features as a gorgeous woman came face to face with him. Her eyes were the deepest of blue, contrasting beautifully with her long, cascading waist-lenght copper hair and the thick, loose yellow sweater she wore.

She looked at Laguna´s small cargo and frowned slightly. "Ellone! I told you not to go outside by yourself."

"But I´m fine!" replied the little girl whining.

Raine shook her head "It´s too dangerous and you know it!"

"Raine..." Laguna started to say, but her blue eyes shot an angry look to him, cutting off his words. Her eyes could resemble icycles when she was mad!

Her tone softened as she sighed slightly "Go to your room and play, Ellone." With that, the brunette woman walked pass Laguna towards the bar, where she started to mix some bottle contents, obviously preparing a drink.

Ellone turned to the dark-haired man and whispered "I got into twouble."

"Too baaaad" he replied in a childish voice.

Raine´s voice reached his ears again, this time however, she seemed slightly amused. "Laguna! Use proper English when speaking to Ellone."

The dark-haired man turned to look at his precious cargo, whispering "I got´n trouble."

The tiny girl shook her head as she smiled widely and replied "Too baaaad."

Both of them giggled as Laguna slowly placed Ellone on the floor. "Go up and play, sweetheart." He said smiling as he ruffled her brunette hair again. She smiled back and nodded before scrambling her way up to her and Raine´s room. The dark-haired man turned to look at the brunette behind the bar, his steps carrying him slowly towards her as a nervous smile spread through his features.

"You´re too easy on her." said Raine as he took a seat across her. A small smile showed on her delicate features as her blue gaze locked with his.

He chuckled slightly and was about to reply, when a familiar voice behind him made the dark-haired man turn around.

"It´s been a while, Laguna."

"Kiros!!" his eyes widened as the slim dark-haired man approached him from his spot on the far corner of the room. Laguna rushed forward, pulling his war buddy in a tight hug and laughing in delight.

"You seem well." said the dark-skinned man after detaching from his friend.

"Yeah, you too." replied Laguna still smiling as he glanced over at Kiros as they returned to the bar and took a seat. No doubt his outfit had seemed rather odd to Ellone. His brown-green, form-fitting suit was light, surely designed to adjust to his fast and fluid fighting style. His neck was adorned by several tribal collars. Laguna learned his dark-skinned friend´s hometown was located in one of the numerous islands surrounding the Centra continent, his people were remote descendants of the last inhabitants of that region, though – as everybody knew – most of the knowledge of the ancient civilization were lost in the void of time. Remembering the last time he and his comrades had set foot on that continent, Laguna asked "Hey! How long has it been since our grand escape from Centra?"

"You mean when we were chased out?" replied Kiros raising an earbrow and gaining a chuckle from Raine, who had placed a couple of Krakka beers in front of the men and causing Laguna to blush at the woman´s reaction. The dark-skinned man smiled and said "Hmm... well, I´d say about a year or so. After we got separated by that storm near the cost of Timber, this is where you´ve been?" he asked as he took a sip of his beer.

Laguna nodded "Yeah. I was bed-ridden for six months more or less. Seemed every bone in my body was broken, right?" he turned to look at the woman leaning on the other side of the bar as the last word left his lips.

Raine nodded as she smiled and turned to look at the dark-skinned man. "He was awfully wounded when some of the soldiers stationed here found him and I nursed him back to health."

"Really? He whines like a baby whenever he´s hurt! I must congratulate your dedication, lady, I couldn´t put up with his whinning for even a month!" said Kiros, gaining a chuckle from Raine.

"Hey, I´m not that bad!" replied Laguna with mock indignation, making the other two laugh even harder.

Once Kiros had controled his chuckles, he turned to look at the brunette woman and truthfully said "Thank you, for taking good care of Laguna, really..."

She smiled back warmly and shook her head dismissing his thanks, her long hair highliting her features as it swayed from side to side slightly.

"So, how´s Ward doing?" asked the dark-haired man nervously after she caught him staring intently at her face.

"Well, he quit the army too." replied Kiros, shaking the bottle contents "Luckily, he found a job and is working pretty hard."

"Really? What´s he doing?" asked Laguna as he turned to look at his friend.

The dark-skinned man smiled widely and asked "Remember he once told us he envied the janitors for getting well paid while they did nothing more than mopping floors while we had to risk our lives in a war we didn´t understood?"

"Yeah. But what does that...?" Laguna´s eyes widened at the thought that had crossed his mind "Wait a minute! You mean he´s..."

Kiros chuckled.

"Wow..." muttered the dark-haired man as he scratched the back of his head. "Can´t picture Ward moppin´floors, but I´m glad he´s ok." Laguna took a sip – the first – of his beer before asking "And his voice? Did it ever got back?"

Kiros demeanor changed, his eyes settled on the bottle in his right hand "No... he went to see many doctors before he found the janitor job back at the D-District Prision, but the damage was irreversible..." his dark eyes settled on his friend again as he said "However, you could basically tell what he wants from his facial expressions."

"I see." Laguna took another sip of his beer, before he caught the playful stare of his comrade out the corner of his eyes. "What?" he asked frowning at the expression Kiros had on his face.

"You´re not going to ask about her?"

"About who?" asked Raine as she looked from Laguna to Kiros and back again.

The dark-haired man blushed slightly and sent an angry look to his friend as he finally asked "How´s Julia?"

"It´s been a while since I was last in Deling City but..." Kiros´s words were cut off by Raine.

"You mean Julia, the singer?" asked the brunette woman raising a thin eyebrow.

The dark-skinned man nodded "That´s right. Laguna really admired her and always frequented the night club she used to play at."

Laguna blushed even deeper as his friend shared that piece of information about his life in Deling City with the woman standing behind the bar. "Shut up! So what if I did?" he asked indignately.

Raine, however, seemed not to have hear his last statement as she curiously asked "So Julia used to sing at a night club?"

Kiros shook his head "No, she used to just play the piano at the bar in Deling City´s hotel."

"Is that so?" muttered the brunette thoughtfully. "So the first song she released was Eyes on Me?"

Laguna´s eyes widened.

_Eyes on Me..._

"_The many faces you´ve shown me..."_

"_Your smile, your face, your eyes... "_

"_You´ve shown me something... I think I can come up with a song."_

Julia´s words the night they talked in her hotel room back in Deling City came to his mind like a hurricane. When he finally found his shaky voice, he turned towards Raine and asked "H-How does the song go?"

The brunette frowned exceptically "You don´t know? But it´s pretty famous!"

"Well, you never let me hear it!" replied Laguna, which was not entirely true. He didn´t have much spare time and when he did, Raine and Ellone – especially the last one – always occuped his free moments in activities such as fishing, playing, cooking or even cleaning up the bar or (on very rare occasions) his house.

"It´s a great song." she replied truthfully. "It´s about being in love... I really like it." she said as a light blush covered her cheeks, which she tried to hide as she feighned to settle a glass she had been cleaning on the shelf at her left.

"Heard she recently got married." commented Kiros taking another sip of his beer as he smiled inwardly at the reaction of the other 2 people in the room.

"Yeah. To a General Caraway or something like that, right?" said Raine as she sat again.

The dark-skinned man nodded "That´s right. He´s the head of the First Division, lots of influences and power there."

"Nah. Julia was never one to go for the power." muttered Laguna as he took another sip of his Krakka beer.

Raine seemed to argue with herself for a minute before saying "I read on a magazine that her true love went off to war and never came back. She was feeling down and General Caraway comforted her, that´s how they got to know each other." Her blue eyes searched for a reaction in Laguna´s face, but found none.

"... So she didn´t wait for the soldier to come back.. ?" asked Kiros

"So what! Who cares?" snapped Laguna as he settled the beer bottle hard on the bar´s surface. "As long as she´s happy, that´s all that matters. Besides I..." he caught Raine´s stare and coughed a little before finishing his sentence with a completely different topic "...have work to do."

"Work?" asked the Kiros curiously "What kind of job do you have around here, Laguna?"

"You´ll see soon." replied the dark-haired man as he stood up, his friend following his example. "See ya later, Raine." He said before turning back and walking towards the door.

She smiled warmly and waved both of the men. "Have fun at work! I´ll have lunch ready when you return."

ooo ooo

Kiros looked as Laguna readied his machine-gun, the dark-haired man walking a couple of paces in front of his comrade, his demeanor clearly showed the ex-soldier was on guard and ready to fight.

"Laguna... I have a simple question." said the dark-skinned man as he watched his friend take a couple of steps off the dirt road they were walking on and inspect a nearby bush. "What is exactly your job?"

Laguna turned to look at his comrade, a wide smile in his features as he rested the heavy cannon of his machine-gun on his right shoulder. "Well, you surely have noticed that aside from the Galbadian garrison stationed here, I´m the only man in town. You see, all the working men in Winhill were sent to war and that leaves only old folks, women, children, chocobos, dogs and cats living here. And without anyone fighting them off, the monsters in the vicinity have been getting inside the town, attacking the few people still living here."

The dark-haired man turned around, gazing at the pink flower field that extended in both sides of the road as far as one was able to see. His tone became softer as he said "This town took real good care of me and I just want to return the kindness." He turned to look at his friend and patted himself on the chest as he smiled "You´re looking at the Monster Hunter of Winhill! And today, Kiros my dear friend, you´ll be my assistant."

The dark-skinned man smirked as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Well and what´s our duty?"

"Basically, we patrol the entire town, killing the monsters and if we come across someone who needs help... we, well... help them." replied Laguna shrugging.

Kiros smiled as he unsheathed his katals. "Sounds like fun to me. So, where do we start?"

ooo ooo

Laguna´s machinegun opened a nice series of holes on the soft caterpillar´s flesh. The monster emited a gutural shriek and squirmed painfully before finally laying still. Another painful groan, this time from a particulary big Bite Bug, made the dark-haired man turn to his right, where Kiros´s katals had sliced the monstruous insect´s abdomen.

"Hmm... well, that wasn´t bad." said the dark-skinned man as he sheathed his blades, his gaze wandering through the numerous green and blue corpses laying around both men.

"Yeah, seems like the faeries are on our side today." replied Laguna smiling as he reloaded his weapon. "I can feel the buzzing inside my head."

Kiros crossed his arms thoughtfully "Me too." He frowned and looked at his friend, shaking his head in confusion "What do you think we´re experiencing?"

"I don´t know." answered Laguna "But to be honest, I rather have them around. The battles are a lot easier than without them. C´mon, we still have more road ahead."

Twenty minutes and a couple of caterpillars later, Laguna and Kiros had finally reached the southern part of town, the last building was the miscelaneous store which belonged to an old friend of Raine´s departed father. Laguna wasn´t particulary fond of the man, as he was very rude with the ex-soldier everytime he _dared_ to enter his shop. In fact the dark-haired man had noticed most people in town either avoided him or treated him coldly, maybe because he was an ex-soldier, but he guessed it was mostly because they didn´t like strangers. Winhill was just a small, gardening town in the outskirts of the Galbadian continent and their quiet and isolated life was something they were too fond of.

Shaking his head to get rid of those thoughts, Laguna smiled brightly as he said "Alright! Our first patrol is complete. We´ll report to the commander and assistant commander before our next patrol starts."

"Commander?" asked Kiros raising an eyebrow. "Oh! You´re talking about that woman in the pub... what´s her name again?"

"Raine!" snarled Laguna "And you better not forget it. She saved my life!"

"Okay, okay! Sorry." replied the dark-haired man placing a hand on his hip. "She seems like a very nice person." His eyes narrowed slightly as a little sly smile adorned his features "Though easily taken in by a hotshot."

"... Hotshot?" Laguna´s blush returned at his friend's words.

ooo ooo

The two galbadians were half the way back to the "base" – as Laguna had called Raine´s pub – when Kiros halted.

"Hey, Laguna." The dark-haired man stopped as well, turning around to regard his comrade. "Are you doing this patrol thing everyday?"

To his surprise, the man with the machine gun angrily snapped "Thing? What are you calling THING?!"

Unphazed by his friend´s outburst, the dark-skinned man crossed his arms as he calmly replied "Well, weren´t you aiming to become a world-travelling journalist?" He shook his head and continued "When I was in Timber I went to see the chief editor of the Timber Maniacs magazine..." he halted and raised an eyebrow as he asked his friend "You do know them, right?"

Laguna rolled his eyes "Yeah, so what?"

"Well, he told me they´re interested in any article related to world traveling."

The dark-haired man´s face brightened up at the news "Really? Wow, that´s great!"

Kiros smiled as his comrade´s normal cheery attitude returned "Yeah, we should go see him sometime." Laguna nodded and smiled before turning around and resuming his path, though the dark-skinned man could see his friend was slightly reluctant about his proposal.

Five minutes later, Laguna stopped, turning his head just enough so he could watch his war buddy out the corner of his eyes. "Ummm... About the article.. would it be ok if we stayed here a little longer?"

"You need to gather more material?" asked Kiros "This seems a like a really nice town. You´re going to write about it first, right?"

Laguna turned completely, his head shaking from one side to the other. "No way! Can´t make this place famous or it would be roaming with lots and lots of tourists."

"You scared someone might come and take Raine away?" asked Kiros playfully. Laguna´s face reddened as his friend let out a loud chuckle, scaring a nearby chocobo away. "You´ve changed, man." said the dark-skinned man as he settled himself. A warm smile spread on his lips as he continued "But, I think it was for the best."

ooo ooo

Laguna opened the door leading to the pub, the lovable familiar scent greeting him like an old lover. He stepped into the room, his eyes wandering aroung the apparently empty place. The sound of light footsteps overhead, however, made the dark-haired man´s steps guide him to the wooden staircase, Kiros following him close.

Laguna was about to announce their return, when the soft voice of Raine echoed through the room, the brunette woman was folding some tablecloth she had just finished washing as she talked with little Ellone, who sat in a nearby couch. The dark-haired man turned around, and started to climb down.

"What?" asked Kiros softly as Laguna indicated him to lower his voice.

"Girl talk... We´ll come back later." replied the dark-haired man shrugging.

"I don´t know why, but something inside me tells me to listen." said Kiros as he halted Laguna´s advance, placing his hand on his shoulder. Both men fell silent, Ellone´s squeaky tone raising in the room.

"Raine... Aren´t yoo gonna marry Uncle Laguna?"

The dark-haired man´s face blushed furiously, gaining a silent chuckle from Kiros, whose hands were covering his mouth in an attempt to muffle his laughter.

Raine snorted "A guy like that?" She shook her head as she continued her folding task "He was carried in here crying like a baby, and I was the one who had to take care of him since nobody else wanted to have anything to do with the Galbadian military. He has a crude way of speaking and every time I try to have a serious conversation, he avoids it. Not to mention I can't stand his snoring and he talks in his sleep..." her voice faltered there, her eyes glancing at the house next door where _he_ stayed.

True, Laguna had many (many many many) flaws, but...

... she could put up with them.

That wasn´t the real reason why she hadn´t let their relationship – whatever it was – to develop.

"But I really, really like him!" replied Ellone as she looked at the older woman. "Raine, Elle and Uncle Laguna should all be together!"

The brunette woman sighed. "I know, Ellone." Her voice had a sad edge that made Laguna´s heart twitch with anguish. "But you know... " Raine´s gaze turned to the five-year-old child "I don´t think Laguna has in him to live in a quiet country town like this one." Her azure eyes glanced through her window at the far away mountains surrounding Winhill´s landscape. "What he really wants is to travel the world and become a journalist... Some people are just like that..."

"Yoo don´t like him?" asked timidly Ellone.

Raine´s delicate features were highlighted by a beautiful, warm smile as she replied "I feel the same as you, Ellone... but..."

Her words were cut off as Laguna´s weight made the wooden floor squeak slightly. Thinking fast, the dark-haired man bolted upstairs, heaving as though he had come back in a hurry. Raine and Ellone turned to look at the men, the brunette woman´s smile returning as Laguna adopted a firm stance and saluted her.

"Here´s my report on our first patrol, Commander."

Raine took a seat near Ellone on the couch and playfully replied "At ease, soldier. Go ahead with your report."

"Including Buchubuchus and Bunbuns that Assistant Commander Ellone oh-so-hates..." Laguna turned to see the little girl smiling as he said the last part, before adopting his serious demeanor again "We've exterminated 25 monsters."

The brunette woman nodded, frowning at the gravity of the situation. Thanks to Laguna´s presence, the monsters hadn´t been able to take on the town... but their numbers seemed to increase every month. "Great job, guys. Thank you." said Raine as she stood up, taking a couple of paces towards the dark-haired man. "Shall we eat before your next patrol starts?"

"That would be great." replied Laguna smiling tiredly.

Raine looked at him try to stiffle a yawn and smiling said "You guys should take a quick nap first. I´ll come and wake you up as soon as my extra-special-spagetti is ready." The dark-haired man nodded, and she returned the gesture before turning to the couch where the little girl was still sitting "C´mon, Elle. Let´s leave Uncle Laguna and Kiros rest."

As the door closed behind the brunette woman, Kiros turned to look at his friend. His expression was a mixture between sadness, worry and fear. "What´s wrong?" he asked frowning slightly.

Laguna sighed as he ran his right hand through dark, long hair. "Sometimes I get scared, you know?" He dropped on the couch the two women were occuping previously as he continued "Scared of waking up somewhere else... of not seeing Ellone..."

"Of not seeing Raine?" asked Kiros, taking a seat on a chair across his friend. Laguna didn´t reply to his comrade´s question, but the dark-skinned man could tell his normally cool and easy-going buddy was facing something that really scared him.

Responsability.

For the first time in his life, Laguna had someone who depended solely on him to keep going, he was facing all the pressure and joy a relationship with a woman and a child (though not his own, but as dear as if she was) would imply. And although he could tell Laguna loved both women dearly, Kiros could also see his friend was scared as hell.

"Please, let me be in this puny bed when I wake up..." the dark-haired man whispered as he closed his eyes tiredly, his body finally giving in as he settled down to sleep.

As Laguna´s breath steadied, Kiros smiled.

His friend sure had changed in the last 6 months...

... as did everyone who finally find their path in life.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note: Hi everyone!_

_Thanks to all the reviewers, I really appreciate your comments. You all know they´re precious to me :D_

_I hope you liked this chapter, I tried to make Laguna and Raine´s relationship less colder than it appears in the game (for me at least..), hope I did it right. And also, I liked to include that little detail about Raine´s eyes as she gets mad with Laguna... guess who Squall got his vicious glare from? :D_

_Anyway, I want to dedicate this chapter to my friend Revir, who turns 22 today :D (there you go, girl. Sorry I couldn´t wrap it up for you :D)_

_Happy birthday!!_

_And see you all again soon!_

_Lots of love,_

_Celestial Rage._


	37. Chapter 37 Between walls

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII..._

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 37: Between walls**

By CelestialRage

She hugged herself in a vain attempt to shrug off the chill that had assaulted her. The room´s atmosphere was cold, but the icy feeling running down her spine had nothing to do with the temperature.

Rosie´s thoughts were far from the chamber she and her friends – minus Irvine, who had managed to escape in the confusion following the Sorceress´s outburst - were locked in, her mind focused in her recent failure. Tears stung the corner of her deep, dark eyes as the image of Squall´s injured body played again in her mind. Her gaze turned to her hands, where the blood – _his blood –_ stains were still visible despite her efforts to get rid of them.

She sighed tiredly as a tear finally escaped her right eye and rolled down her cheek.

_Seems my best efforts are futile... _

_I haven´t been able to change anything so far._

The moment had been terrible and the raven-haired highly doubted the memory would vanish from her mind soon.

Rosie rocked herself back and forth unconsciously as her body tightened in a small ball, her eyes staring blankly to the front as her mind replayed the previous events.

ooo ooo

"Rinoa, quick!" the raven-haired SeeD yelled, her voice full of agony as she frantically tried to stop the bleeding from Squall´s open wound. She had just finished melting the ice spear and without the numbing cold, the male SeeD´s blood started to flow. Both of her hands were pressed tightly to his shoulder and upper chest and she could feel the warm, crimson liquid coursing through her fingers, abandoning her beloved´s body and draining the life out of him.

Rinoa casted the healing spell she had been readying, but given the lenght of the SeeD´s injure, she was forced to repeat the process 2 other times.

The sound of the heavy chain rolling back to its position caught Rosie´s attention, the raven-haired girl turning her eyes from Squall´s paling face to the heavy black gate in front of the float she and the other teens were on. Her heart skipped a beat as what appeared to be more than a hundred blue-cladded Galbadian soldiers quickly made their way towards them, their weapons in hand and already pointing at the teenagers.

A faint, tired moan from below her made her head go down as her gaze focused on Squall again. Rinoa had finally managed to close the wound, though he had lost a considerable amount of blood, his face pale as a sheet. Rosie couldn´t help but smile warmly at the SeeD leader as she locked her dark eyes with his stormy ones, which although barely opened, still were focused on her face.

"You´re gonna be ok." she muttered as more tears came to her eyes. She was about to say something else, however, as her mouth opened, a painful yelp escaped her lips as suddenly a strong hand gripped her left arm, yanking her hard to her feet, while other hands took Reaper and her item pouch off her hips. Rosie´s arms were roughly pulled behind her – the injure in her shoulder stinging painfully – as the soldiers secured her wrists with Odine-branded cuffs, thus cutting her ability to cast magic or summon her Guardians. Her teary eyes were still settled on Squall´s prone form, her heart aching with worry as she looked at the soldiers take hold of the weak SeeD´s body, carrying him to one of the military vehicles parked not far from the archway.

She felt a hard shove from behind, as the soldier ordered her to move. The sound of the door leading to the archway being opened caught her attention as she made her way towards the awaiting vehicle. Her other friends were also cuffed, Zell sporting a bleeding lip and a bruised cheek, making it obvious the martial artist had tried to fight his way to freedom, but given the amount of soldiers and the fact none of the SeeDs were able to use their magic or GFs anymore, the task was impossible.

The way to the District Prision had taken almost a whole day, the high-security faccility was located in the middle of the Galbadian desert, making the trip inside the crowded military vehicle hellish.

ooo ooo

Her thoughts were interrupted by Zell´s loud yawning, the blond SeeD was finally stiring from the unnatural sleep he had been in for the last 7 hours. The 4 girls turned to look at the martial artist as he sat up slowly, his hands rubbing his eyes as he yawned again.

"Welcome back, Zell." said Quistis smiling. "Was it the _dream world_ again?"

The blond nodded as he stretched his arms up his head.

"How´s Laguna doing?" asked Selphie as she moved a little closer to the martial artist.

"Dunno." replied Zell, shaking his head "I didn´t see him, but I did see Ward. He´s working as a janitor in some prision-like place and he´s bored outta his mind!"

Quistis shook her head in confusion, her blonde hair swinging gracefully from side to side "What´s this we´re experiencing?"

"The hell should I know!" replied the martial artist angrily. He was tired of having those restless and confusing dreams! Although he felt somewhat linked to the bulky Ward, the brawler wished nothing more than the dreams – or whatever the hell they were – to stop.

His eyes wandered through the faces of the other cell´s occupants and for the first time, he noticed neither Squall nor Irvine were in the room with them. Where the hell were they? He remembered Rosie telling him their leader had been badly injured by Edea, but she hadn´t mentioned what happened with the cowboy...

... or if Squall was still alive.

ooo ooo

He opened his eyes to thin slits.

Although his vision was still blurred, Squall could tell Raine´s wooden celing had vanished, as did the sweet floral perfume that had accompanied him during the dream, his nose detecting a faint, metallic scent instead.

He shivered slightly as his body finally registered the coldness of the atmosphere, all traces of the warm summer day he had been enjoying gone.

His right hand raised to rub his temple as a sharp hammering pain strung him, the SeeD surprising at the incredible weakness he felt. Suddenly remembering the reason for his condition, he quickly sat up, dark spots clouding his vision while the dizziness he felt forced him to drop down on the matress again. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Squall turned to look at the place where Edea´s ice spear had stabbed him. His left hand opened his shirt so his shoulder was visible.

A small reddened scar had been added to the collection he had gathered through his years in Garden. Most of them thanks to the intense training sesions he had to endure, others from his frequent non-friendly encounters with Seifer.

As this thought left his mind, Squall remembered the battle with his life-long rival. He could still feel the heat of the torches on the platform, hear the clanging of his gunblade against Hyperion, muffling the shouts from the frenzied crowd and see Rosie and Edea´s frames standing at different corners of the float.

His frown deepened as the Sorceress´s image came to his mind, the SeeD remembering Seifer´s cocky smirk as they battled. The blond man seemed as arrogant and reckless as always...

... only now it seemed he was on a different side.

"Damn you Seifer!" hissed Squall as he thought of his rival´s betrayal. He stood up and fell to his knees due to the weakness he felt and the rocking that suddenly had stroke his cell. The SeeD could feel the room move to the left, followed by metallic sounds reminding him of the coupling process of the Timber train mission. A couple of seconds later, the cell started to rise and seemed to ascend around 30 feet before halting abruptly.

ooo ooo

"What was that noise?!" asked Selphie as a loud metallic sound echoed through the walls.

Rosie´s head lifted from its position between her arms as the door to their cell slid open, a dozen of heavily-armed guards entering the room and pointing their weapons towards the now standing teenagers. One of them – obviously the leader – took a couple of steps towards the SeeDs, a cocky smirk on his face as he said:

"That´s the sound of your friend being tortured." His gaze wandered through the women, lust evident in his eyes as he continued "You´ll soon be getting what you scum deserve!"

"Wha? Whaddya mean?!" demanded Zell angrily as he stepped closer to the guard, his eyes burning with fury.

"You´ve got a problem, punk?" asked the arrogant guard as he got closer to the martial artist, his baton raising and striking the SeeD on the stomach, forcing the air out of his lungs.

The guard´s weapon fell again, this time, however, Zell grabbed his arm, twitching it painfully to the side. At this, half of the soldiers moved in, striking the blond SeeD either with their batons or machine-guns, until the martial artist was laying on the floor. The other guards started laughing, some of them nearing their comrades and joining them in the beating Zell was receiving.

"Stop it!" yelled Rosie angrily as she witnessed the brutal beating, powerless to halt the soldier´s abuse.

"Don´t mess around with me, punk!" hissed the brute leader, grabbing Zell´s hair and pulling his head back enough so he could speak to the martial artist´s ear. "Now you understand who´s in charge here" he said before hardly dropping the SeeD´s head down to the metallic floor. "Oh, before I forget.." he said turning his attention to the ladies "Which one of you is Rinoa?"

"I am." said Rosie stepping forward before the real Ms. Heartilly could even begin to speak. The other three girls stared at her in awe, the raven-haired SeeD nodded slightly, her eyes trying to tell them to trust her.

The guard´s smirk returned "Fine. You´re coming with us, doll."

"What are you gonna do with her, you bastard?!" yelled Zell as he started to stand up, the guards beating him mercilessly again, before their leader yanked Rosie´s left arm and ordered them to move.

"I´ll be okay." said the raven-haired girl as she turned to look at her friends. "Trust me."

ooo ooo

The door to his cell opened with a _whoosh_, Squall´s head moving upwards to look at whoever had entered the room. His frown deepening as he clenched his fists and teeth in rage at the sight of the blond man in front of him.

Seifer Almasy´s smirk widened as he watched his rival slowly standing up. "Squall, you are pitiful." said the blond teen disdainfully.

Squall´s reply was a quick and rather strong jab, the SeeD refusing to show any weakness in front of the self-proclaimed Knight. Seifer, however, was able to parry the brunet´s punch effortlessly, grabbing his rival´s hand and twitching it aside before delivering a hook of his own. Squall fell on the mattress, his back colliding with the hard, cold wall. The SeeD´s frown deepened when he tried to access his magic stores, finding his GF´s were silent, meaning either he was under the influence of a Silence spell or Seifer had drawn them.

He sent a kick to the blond´s right leg, forcing the Knight to take a step backwards to avoid the blow. Squall seized the chance and quickly got up, his right fist ramming against Seifer´s stomach before his left one connected his rival´s chin. Enraged, the blond used his magic-enhaced strenght, delivering a inhumangly strong and quick jab to the SeeD´s cheek, before grabbing his brunet hair and ramming his head against the wall.

"Take him away!" snarled Seifer as he let go of his rival and turned around to exit the room.

Squall´s vision blurred again, the Knight´s retreating white trenchcoat was the last thing he saw before many arms grabbed him as he slipped into unconsciousness.

ooo ooo

"Here she is." said the soldier as he pushed Rosie hard towards the awating man.

Irvine´s confused look changed as he saw the raven-haired girl´s lips move. He placed his hand on her right shoulder, pulling her nearer as he turned to look at the prision guards and said "Well thank you, gentlemen. General Caraway will be pleased and in great debt with you for this." He brought one of his hands into his trenchcoat and produced a black credit card, which he held out for the guard´s leader to grab "Here. For your excelent service and with the General´s regards, of course."

The brute took the card and examined it closely before smirking again and saying "Always a pleasure to make bussiness with Caraway." He turned to look at Rosie and sent her a dirty look as he said "Take care, doll."

The sharpshooter frowned, his grip on the raven-haired girl´s shoulder tightening for a second before he turned around, pulling the female SeeD with him.

"What are you doing here? Where´s Rinoa?" he whispered as they advanced towards the Galbadian vehicle Irvine had borrowed from the General.

"She´s with the others" replied Rosie absently. She bit her lower lip nervously as her inner debate continued.

The raven-haired girl had seen her oportunity to slip by the security of the D-Prision by feigning she was Rinoa, since none of the guards knew the difference, thus gaining access to her weapon – which was securely attached to her holster again – and to another member of their team. One that she knew could help her not only to rescue the others, but also to do it as fast as possible and gaining the chance to stop the missiles aimed for Trabia Garden.

But... would Irvine believe what she was about to tell him?

"Irvine..." Rosie´s voice made him turn to face her as he closed the vehicle´s door. The raven-haired girl´s eyes locked with his, the cowboy frowned at the fear evident in them. "I... I have... a confession to make..."

ooo ooo

Squall´s arms ached when he came to again.

His head was hanging forward and he could feel something stiff and thick around his wrists and ankles. The SeeD opened his eyes and found himself bound to a wall, his body 5 or 6 feet above the ground. His gaze wandered through the room, finding nothing more than what appeared a power generator at his left and a control station at his right. There, cladded in a blue and brown uniform, stood one of the prision guards.

But he was not alone.

Seifer´s smirk returned as he noticed his rival had finally began to stir. The blond walked closer to the bound SeeD until he was almost directly below him. "I´m sure you can imagine what happens now." said the Knight as he folded his arms above his chest, his green gaze settled on Squall´s frowning face.

The SeeD clenched his teeth.

Yeah, he knew what was coming... Garden had taught them how to survive torture and he was more than ready to show why he had gotten the best score in that class. Squall moved his wrists, testing his bonds trying to find a weak spot, however, Seifer had done quite a good job fastening them.

"What do you want?" asked the SeeD coldly, his icy stare piercing his rival´s eyes.

"Tell me what SeeD is. Edea demands to know." replied Seifer drawing Hyperion in a dramatic fashion and pointing it at the bound man.

_SeeD?_ Squall thought confused.

_What is there to know about SeeD that Seifer doesn´t know already? _

_It´s a code name for Garden´s trained elite mercenary forces... That concept is taught to every cadet since they begin their studies. _

_Even citizens now that... _

"Don´t you already know?" asked the brunet, raising an eyebrow slightly. "It´s basic knowledge."

Seifer shrugged smiling "I´m not a SeeD." He placed his gunblade on his shoulder and continued "There must be some kind of secret you´re given when you become one, isn´t it? Tell me."

"There´s none." he replied coldly before a very tiny smirk flashed on his face briefly "And even if there was, do you really think I´d tell you?"

Seifer smiled widely "No, in fact I didn´t... I´d be rather dissapointed if you talked that easily." The blond teenager took a couple of steps closer to his rival and said "You´re on my tough-nut-to-crack list, buddy."

The SeeD moved his head to the side as he voiced his cold, sarcastic reply "Geez, I´m honored."

The Knight´s smile widdened "That´s why I have a little somethin' for ya." Seifer´s fingers snapped, the warden standing near the control panel hit a switch sending electricity through the SeeD's body.

Squall emited a gutural growl, the pain coursing through his being was sharp, his body convulsing violently as the high voltage journed the lenght of his frame. Suddenly, the pain resided as Seifer snapped his fingers again, ending the torture sooner than the SeeD had hoped for.

"How´s that, uh?" asked the blond mockingly, watching Squall´s body convulse slightly before finally going limp.

The SeeD didn´t reply, he settled himself and calmly opened his eyes to look at his rival, dismissing the torture as just a minor inconvenience.

Seifer´s smirk returned "Even if you don´t talk others will... Let´s see, who do we have available?" he seemed to consider his options before smiling again and saying "Oh, yeah! Our dear instuctor, the little messenger girl and, of course, Chicken-wuss... I bet he doesn´t even last 3 seconds!"

Squall´s eyes widened slightly. _They..._ "They´re all here?"

_All of them? Even..._

"Oh, you bet!" replied the Knight grinning, obviously enjoying the situation. "They´re in one of the lower levels waiting for their turn. But since I like you so much I thought _you_ should go first." He pointed Hyperion towards the SeeD´s throat, his grin widening as his rival remained emotionless. "You know... I hoped you´d be there, Squall"

The SeeD frown´s deepened "What?"

_The hell is he talking about?_

Seifer chuckled before replying "So... How´d I look in my moment of triumph? My childhood dream is finally fullfilled... I´ve become the Sorceress Knight and the greatest warrior of all times!"

Squall´s mind replayed his rival´s words on the cliff just above the Com Tower in Dollet.

_So... this is his 'romantic dream'? _

_Well... I´m sorry to dissapoint you Seifer but you´d become nothing more than a filthy, sadistic torturer under Edea´s orders._

"C´mon, Squall say something!" said the Knight smiling "This is the scene where you swear your undying hatred for me! The tale of the evil mercenary vs. the Sorceress Knight!"

The SeeD remained silent, wondering if his rival had finally gone mad. His frown depening further as he clenched his teeth, preparing for the next stage of his torture session.

Seifer´s fingers snapped, the course of electricity going through Squall´s body again. The Knight smirked as he watched the SeeD´s frame convulse painfully. "The fun´s just started, Squall. Don´t dissapoint me now!"

ooo ooo

"OWW!!" yelled Zell in pain as Selphie and Rinoa´s healing magic worked on his bruises. Unfortunately for the martial artist, the Cure spells they had just casted were so weak they did nothing more than 'poking' at the injures.

The brunette girl sighed and muttered apologetically "I´m sorry, Zell... but it seems we can´t do it right."

"It´s not your fault." replied Quistis, the blonde inspecting a near wall closely. "There seems to be some kind of anti-magic field around the place. That´d explain why we can´t access our Guardians or cast our magic correctly." She turned to look at Zell, her eyes narrowing in concentration "Uhmmm... not even my Blue Magic is working." muttered Quistis after a couple of seconds.

The door to their cell opened with a _whoosh_. The teenagers stared in awe as a strange cat-like creature stepped into the room. It was about a meter tall, its orange fur turned bright crimson at the top of its head and whip-like tail. Surprisingly enough, the creature was able to walk on its two back paws – which were chained, allowing it to take only small steps – while carrying a grey tray with a complete (if unappetizing) meal.

The small creature took a couple of steps towards the SeeDs before tripping, the tray escaping its paws, spilling its contents and landing 3 feet away with a loud resonating clatter of metal on metal.

Almost immediately, a baton-wielding guard entered the cell "What was that noise?!" His eyes found the spilled food tray, his vicious glare setting on the shivering small creature. "You again?! It´s the fourth tray you drop today, stupid Moomba!" he yelled angrily as he kicked the poor thing hardly on the stomach.

"You, bastard!" yelled Zell standing up, not able to keep his anger at bay anymore. The guard raised his baton, but had no chance to use it as the martial artist quickly grabbed his arm and yanked him off his feet, hurling the galbadian against the wall. His head collapsed with the metal surface before landing with a thud, his body laying limp.

"Well done, Zell! That´s what that BIG meanie deserves!" said Selphie, her hands on her hips as she looked at the guard´s unconscious form. The tiny SeeD turned to look at the Moomba and, smiling warmly, crouched in front of it. "You ok?" The creature emited a faint growl, its little upper paws clutching its stomach. "Doesn´t work so well, but..." Selphie focused all her energy as she placed a hand on the Moomba´s injure "Cure!" a white light shinned for a second before disappearing, the bruise on the creature´s stomach slightly fainter.

"The coast is clear." said Quistis, who had bolted to the still opened cell´s door after the martial artist knocked out the guard.

"Really?" asked Rinoa approaching, the raven-haired girl looking around. The floor was circular, 3 other closed cells were visible around a wide hole in the center of the chamber. There was a staircase at their right, leading to the upper and lower levels, the SeeD´s cell was just beside it. The raven-haired frowned "Where are all the guards?"

Aside from the now unconscious man laying inside their cell, there were no other galbadians on that floor.

"If I remember correctly... they´re having a lunch in the dinning room." said Zell as he approached the women. He gazed at the plaque attached to the wall just beside the door, it read 7-C4.

"If you remember correctly? What do you mean?" asked Selphie, still crouching beside the Moomba.

"Remember I told you Ward worked as a janitor in a prision? Well, this is the place he was working at! I recognized the room right away... during the dream he kept mopping several cells like this one." replied Zell smiling as he turned to look at the women. "I know the guards´ shifts and rounds, so we can manage to escape."

"Even so..." replied Quistis shaking her head slightly ".. we´re still unarmed and I´m sure it won´t be long before our friend is missed." she said motioning towards the fallen guard.

"No prob, I think I know where they´re keeping our stuff." replied the martial artist as he stepped outside the room "I won´t be long."

"But..." Rinoa´s words were cut off as the blond man turned and smiled.

"My weapons are these fists o´mine, remember? Besides I know the place, so don´t worry." replied Zell giving them a thumbs up.

Quistis nodded. "Be careful, though."

The Moomba got up and quickly approached the guard´s body, its paws grabbing something. The little creature walked towards Zell and held out a green and yellow card.

"A keycard!" he grabbed it and looking at the Moomba said "Thanks, buddy!" He turned his attention to the girls "Close the door after I´m gone, when I get back I´ll knock before opening it, ok?"

The three girls nodded in understanding, Zell nodding back before turning around and saying "Well, I´m off!"

ooo ooo

His body ached as it convulsed painfully, the high voltage journing through his frame once more. Seifer´s fingers snapped again, the SeeD´s agony ceasing momentarily.

"I´ll ask again, Squall." said the Knight calmly as he crossed his arms over his chest. His body leaning cassually against the wall oposite the brunet´s. "What is SeeD? And why do they oppose the Sorceress?"

_Oppose?_ Squall´s frown deepened as he settled himself again, facing the blond man with his characteristic unreadable expression.

_The assasination attempt was only a mission, SeeD doesn´t actively oppose the Sorceress... but it seems she believes otherwise..._

"Sir Seifer!" a guard called from the doorway, attracting the looks of both rivals.

"What do you want? Can´t you see I´m busy?" snarled angrily Seifer, his vicious glare locking with the guard´s frightened one.

The galbadian gulped before nervously replying "I-I´m sorry, sir... but the missiles targeted for Garden are ready to be lauched."

Squall´s eyes widened as the news struck him.

_They´re going to destroy Garden?!_

"Excellent." Seifer smiled as he left his spot against the wall. He turned to look at his rival, his smile widening at the incredulous look on the SeeD´s face. "Balamb and Trabia Gardens will be destroyed on charges of training SeeDs to oposse the Sorceress."

"What?!" Squall couldn´t believe his ears.

_This can´t be! _

_They´re not serious!!_

"It´s a pity, really. I grew up there too.." said Seifer before shrugging and continuing "Well, orders are orders... don´t you think, Squall?"

The SeeD could feel rage coursing through him, his tired body tensing as Squall fought his bonds in a vain attempt to get rid of them. "Bastard!" yelled the brunet, his icy stare locking with Seifer´s.

The Knight chuckled and stepped closer to his rival. "Once both Gardens are gone, the SeeD hunt will begin and I´ll be Edea´s bloodhound, hunting down every one of your kind." Seifer raised his right arm, grabbing Squall´s white shirt´s collar and painfully pulling the SeeD down so he could stare directly into his blue-grey eyes. The Knight grinned and said "It´ll be fun, Squall. So don´t die on me, I want you to witness the falling of SeeD."

Squall spat the blond man´s face, making Seifer chuckle as he released the SeeD´s shirt. The Knight turned towards the guard near the controls and said "Seems my friend has a lot of spunk left in him. Continue with the interrogation. I´ll head to our new base and inform Edea everything´s going according to her plan." With that, the blond turned around and walked out of the room as he brought his right hand up and said "Catch ya later, punk!"

The warden smirked as the Knight left the room, the door sealing behind him. He approached the hanging SeeD and, crossing his arms over his chest with a superior attitude asked "So, ready to talk?"

"I don´t understand the question." replied Squall truthfully.

_I really don´t... _

_Aren´t we just Garden´s special mercenary forces? What´s there to know beside that?_

"Don´t mess with me, smart-ass!" said the guard as he strode to the control panel "Edea says you know something, so spit it out!"

As the warden hit the switch, the SeeD´s body jerked painfully again as the jolt of electricity ran all the way up his spine. Agonizing seconds later, the torture ended and the smirking guard approached Squall´s panting frame.

"Had enough already, pal?" asked cockily the warden.

"Y...your..." the SeeD´s lips moved slightly, his words barely audible.

The galbadian got nearer, raising one of his eyebrows as he asked "What´d you say?"

"...Your breath stinks." said Squall coldly as he stared defiantly at his torturer.

"Well, punk! You asked for it!" yelled angrily the warden as he returned to the control panel, his hand grabbing the power lever and setting it on the highest before pushing the switch. "How you like me now, uh?!" said the man smiling as he watched the SeeD´s body convulsing again, an agonized scream leaving Squall´s throat before he finally lost consciousness.

ooo ooo

Zell´s head peeked out the staircase, finding no guards in his immediate range of vision. The SeeD had reached the eighth floor, his form moving as swiftly and stealthily as possible towards the storage room. For the first time, the martial artist was thankful he was able to had those strange dreams, Ward´s knowledge on the prision´s faccilities and guards' routines had been very handy so far.

Once he was at the storage´s door, the martial artist used the keycard on the reader, the electronic lock releasing quietly as a green light appeared on top of the device. He slid the door open and peeked inside. The room was full of shelves, various items scattered on top of them. Seeing nobody around, Zell got inside, closing the door behind him.

"What is this?" said a male voice, almost making the martial artist jump in surprise. He quickly crouched, breathing slowly and trying to settle his racing heart.

"A pinwheel. It´s one of the weapons belonging to those SeeDs locked on the seventh floor." replied another masculine voice, apparently none of the men had noticed they were being listened by one of the prisioners.

Zell walked quietly towards the voices´ source, finding a couple of galbadian soldiers examining the items inside one of the heavy-secured lockers on the other side of the room, their backs facing the approaching teenager as they continued their conversation.

"They sure got interesting stuff. Look at these: a nunkachu, a whip... and is this what they call a gunblade?" the first soldier asked as he held Revolver high. "Man! It sure is heavy! How do they manage to wield it?"

"Like this!" yelled Zell as he grabbed both men´s heads and crushed them against each other, the galbadians´ bodies going limp as they lost consciousness. Zell smiled as he looked at the guards' bodies and said "Piece o´cake, baby!"

Five minutes later, the martial artist entered his friends´ cell. "Sorry to keep you waiting but I brought you gifts!" he said as he held out the girl´s weapons along with their item pouches. The SeeDs had barely ended adjusting their gear when the door opened, a couple of voices reaching their ears.

"So this is the cell with the uncooperative prisioners?" asked one of the men, the voice strangely familiar to Selphie and Zell.

"Yes, sir. But.. should we start picking on prisioners so soon after getting transferred here?" said another famliar voice nervously.

"Just shut up and let me handle this, Wedge." replied the first man as they finally stepped into the room, their gazes locking with the SeeDs´.

"YOU?!" Selphie, Zell and the two soldiers exclaimed simultaneously.

"Well, well... This is an unexpected bonus, don´t you think Wedge?" said Biggs cockily as he grabbed his baton. "Didn´t think I´d get to settle the score with you, punks! I got demoted because of what you did in Dollet and now I´m having my revenge!!"

"B-but, sir! They´re unarmed!" complained Wedge.

"I know it would seem coward to take on unarmed prisioners, Wedge. But they´re SeeDs and it´s a dog-eat-dog world, so..." replied the now Liutenant Biggs, his words cut off by the _crack _sound of Quistis´s whip.

Both galbadians´ eyes widened as the teenagers showed their weapons. "Uh... they´re fully armed!" exclaimed Wedge, his hand quickly drawing his saber-like sword.

"Well, this makes matters more interesting!" said Biggs smiling as he drew his guns "Let´s see what you can do against this, punks!"

Quistis's weapon coiled around the Liutenant´s legs, the blonde SeeD pulling the chain and making the galbadian fall. Zell´s leg landed hard and painfully over Biggs´s head, the galbadian soldier knocked out by the impact.

Selphie had avoided Wedge´s saber, the tiny SeeD whirling around her nunchakus, the hard edge reaching the soldier´s chin. A _click_ anounced Rinoa had released her Pinwheel, the sharp blade cutting Wedge´s shoulder – forcing the soldier to release his weapon – before getting back to its owner. Another couple of hard beats from Selphie´s nunchakus ended the work and the galbadian trooper fell limp to the floor with a thud.

"That was easy." commented Rinoa as she stepped over the fallen Wedge´s body.

"Yeah, now comes the tricky part..." replied Zell, peeking out the cell´s door. The SeeD turned to look at his comrades as a smile lightened his features "Ready for the breakout?"

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note: _

_Hi again! Hope you enjoyed this chapter :D _

_I hope I did a good job portraiting Squall´s suffering and his defiance towards Seifer. I cut some things, especially about Zell (when I was playing FF8, I couldn´t believe he didn´t recognize the cell right away! I mean if he was Ward during his dream and he kept mopping floors... he HAD to recognize the place without Rinoa hinting him!!). And I really made the fight against Wedge and Biggs short, VERY SHORT. But, hey! The guys are crap compared to the 3 SeeDs and Rinoa, right? Even without the aid of magic or Guardians..._

_Anyway, gotta go, work calls (yeah, it sucks), but remember all comments are always welcome :D_

_Love ya all and see ya on next chap!_

_Celestial Rage_


	38. Chapter 38 Break out!

_Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 38: Break out!!**

By CelestialRage

"You again?" asked the guard at the entrance of the prision as he glanced at the approaching teenagers.

"Yeah, sorry." replied the cowboy shrugging "We forgot something and have come to retrieve it."

"What is it?" asked the warden as he pulled out a list, obviously an inventory of everything the galbadians held in the storage room.

The sound of a cocking gun, however, made his gaze shot forward in time to see a smile spreading through Irvine's features. "Our friends." A second later, the guard's body fell to the floor with a thud, electricity still coursing through his frame as a result of Rosie´s spell.

The cowboy crouched, his hands reaching for the contents of the galbadian warden´s pockets "You sure of this?"

Before the raven-haired SeeD had a chance to answer, a car's engine was heard in the distance, Rosie crouched as a galbadian military-issued vehicle left the nearest tower, the D-District Prision´s main body buried deep within the desert sands. Her eyes widened as they settled on the blond man sitting comfortably on the passenger´s seat.

_There´s Seifer... so, Squall is still in the torture chamber, right? There´s still one guard with him if I remember correctly._

"We have to move. C´mon!" said Rosie as she bolted towards the bridge connecting the tower they were in with the one where their friends were being held.

Both SeeDs pressed themselves on opposite sides of the main control room, their weapons already drawn and ready. Irvine´s head peeked through the door, the cowboy counting 8 guards in his immediate range of vision. His gaze settled on the raven-haired girl as he felt a magical barrier being casted on him.

Rosie returned his stare and nodded, her grip on Reaper tightening as her body tensed, ready for the unevitable battle. Irvine nodded back and raised three fingers of his left hand, before clenching his fist. He raised one finger, then another and right after the last one, both SeeDs bolted into the chamber, the sound of the cowboy´s shotgun rounds and Rosie´s Thunder spells echoing through the room.

The raven-haired SeeD had aimed at a soldier as she and Irvine entered the control post, her mind changing as she saw another soldier´s blood spilling thanks to the sharpshooter´s high-caliber bullets. Irvine crouched behind a flashing panel, avoiding the bullets the galbadian troopers sent him, his double-barreled shotgun returning fire.

One of the wardens slammed the emergency button, loud claxons alerting the faccility´s personal before a Thunder spell knocked him out.

"This is getting nasty!" exclaimed Irvine as he reloaded his weapon, his back against the panel.

"And is about to get worse if we don´t shut the alarms down!" replied Rosie as she took cover near the sharpshooter.

ooo ooo

The SeeDs got out of their cell cautiously, Selphie shutting the door after her. Zell took the lead, his gaze wandering through the chamber one last time as his mind tried to remember the route to the exit, recalling the dream´s events until he realized Ward had never mopped anything besides the cells.

A growl from the Moomba standing at his right, however, made a sudden idea flash through his brain. Those creatures had to know the faccility as well, then maybe...

"Hey, buddy." said the martial artist crouching to gaze at the small creature´s eyes. "Do you know where the exit is?"

The Moomba growled sadly, its feline face turning down in shame.

"Guess not..." muttered Zell as he stood up.

"What about Squall?" asked Rinoa anxiously, her dark eyes settled on the martial artist.

He turned to look at her and nodded "He´s gotta be around here. Don´t worry, we´ll find him and..." his voice was cut off as a loud claxon echoed through the building.

_Warning! Intruder alert! _

_Intruder alert!_

_All personel to Tower B! _

_Lethal force authorized for those who refuse to surrender._

"Damn! The... intruder alert?" exclaimed Zell confused, raising a golden eyebrow.

"I thought we had triggered that alarm!" said Selphie as she turned to look at her comrades "Who do you think...?"

"No time for that!" interrupted Quistis as she readied her whip, several footsteps could be heard climbing the staircase.

ooo ooo

_Oh, no! The announcement didn´t say the antimagic field surrounding the prision was going to be released! _

_That means my friends are trapped and without magic or Guardians! _

_What have I done?!_ thought Rosie frantically as a bullet exploded very near her head, the panel emiting sparks as the heavy round damaged its circuits.

The raven-haired SeeD grabbed Irvine´s arm with her left hand and placed her right against the floor, her eyes closing as she expressed her will to one of the entities junctioned to her mind. Quetzalcoatl´s energy coursed through her body, running down the lenght of her right arm and spreading through the chamber as it touched the floor. The Guardian´s electric pulse attacked the remaining troopers, his energy evading the panels and the sharpshooter at his summoner´s request.

Rosie stood up quickly, Quetzalcoatl´s energy returning to her mind as she neared the control panel in front of her and started examining it.

Irvine got up as well, his gaze wandering through the room, watching the unconscious soldiers´ bodies squirm thanks to the electricity still coursing through them. He let out a whistle as he adjusted his hat before saying "Wow! That was pretty amazing, doll. Remind me never to make you mad."

"Quick Irvine, help me find the antimagic field control!" said Rosie anxiously, her hands trembling slightly as her eyes frantically looked at the labels placed above every button.

The sharpshooter nodded and began searching as well. Few seconds later, his excited voice exclaimed "Here! I found it!" the cowboy pulled a small green lever, the sound of heavy machines coming to a halt echoing through the room.

Rosie smiled widely as she released her breath in relief. The raven-haired girl found a microphone on top of the panel, her index finger tapping the _on_ button as she approached the device.

ooo ooo

The teenagers were surrounded by a group of about 20 soldiers, their weapons aiming at the SeeD´s heads.

"You didn´t get far, did ya buddies?" asked a soldier mockingly, his fellow wardens chuckling at his comment.

Zell´s eyes narrowed, his mind racing as he tried to find a way to get out of this predicament. Suddenly, the martial artist felt a familiar sensation course through his entire body, like heat running across his veins. The first time he had experienced it was 7 years ago, when he had junctioned his first Guardian...

... his magic-enhanced strenght had returned.

And so had the voices inside his brain.

The SeeDs exchanged looks, all of them aware they were fully loaded again. Suddenly, a chime followed by a feminine voice the teenagers knew quite well, gained both bands´ attention.

"_Go all the way up! We´ll get Squall, so don´t worry about him!"_

One of the soldiers approached Zell, the cannon of his machinegun pressing against the martial artist´s chest as a wicked grin spread through his features.

"Seems to me you won´t be able to make it to the upper floor, little piece of shit." said the warden cockily, his eyes locked with the blond brawler´s ones.

Zell smiled.

Before the soldier had time to even show his surprise, the martial artist grabbed his throat with his right hand, the left one twisting the warden´s wrist painfully. The soldier squeezed his weapon´s trigger, the bullet piercing one of his comrades´s head a second before Zell´s magic-enhanced strenght split his throat in two.

Quistis´s whip coiled around one of the machineguns, pulling it towards her and quickly dissarming the soldier infront of her. The blonde woman cast a Fire at the warden as her left hand closed around the galbadian weapon, the SeeD whirling around quickly, the trigger squeezed tightly, a rain of bullets incapacitating 5 soldiers.

Rinoa and Selphie had cast Protect spells over the SeeD group, the tiny brunette´s nunchakus swirling with expertise as she joined Zell in the front line of the battle. The raven-haired girl´s pinwheel had injured many soldiers, though not to a point of killing them, the other three teenagers finishing the work.

Zell avoided a powerful shotgun blast, the martial artist quickly approaching the soldier as he pumped his weapon. The SeeD´s right leg kicked the shotgun from its wielder´s hands, his body following the direction of his momentum as he brought up his left leg and delivered an inhumanly strong roundhouse kick to the soldier´s jaw, sending the warden a couple of meters away, his body colliding with the wall and making a nice dent in it.

"Everyone ok?" asked Zell, turning to check on his comrades. The girls nodded, the martial artist returning the gesture before saying "Let´s get a move on!"

As the SeeDs climbed the stairs leading to the eighth floor, silence returned inside the prision.

ooo ooo

Irvine´s smile widened as the alarm died down, the sharpshooter had found and disconnected the security circuit. "Well, this will make things a little easier, don´t you think?"

Rosie nodded slightly before her gaze drifted from Irvine´s face to the staircase on the other side of the room, her eyes narrowing as she said "C´mon, Squall´s this way!"

ooo ooo

"Activate the sentries!" yelled a Galbadian captain, a bunch of soldiers saluted him before bolting towards several yellow and blue machines.

The GIM47N were one of Galbadia´s standard weapons, their heavily-armored bodies along with the gatling-gun they carried made them perfect to stop an incoming attack. Though this machines were extremely powerful, they were the least lethal in the Galbadian arsenal.

The SAM08G, a blue dragon-like machine, was the result of years of design and weapon development, combining strenght, resistance and agility. Its ergonomic design, along with the powerful arsenal at its disposition, made this machine quite a challenge to defeat.

"Let see what those SeeDs can do against this!" said the captain grinning as he watched the 10 units (4 SAM08G and 6 GIM47N) start walking towards the cargo elevator which would lead them straight to the 10th level.

ooo ooo

"Laguna!"

"Laguna!"

Squall´s eyes opened at the squealing voice echoing through the room. His stormy eyes meeting large dark orbs, somewhat resembling those of a cat. The SeeD shook his head slightly as he thought the bizzarre creature in front of him was a figment of his imagination, until he realized – despite his efforts – the apparition remained right where it was...

... and it had friends. Other 2 similar-looking creatures were with it, both felines squealing in delight as the SeeD slowly came to.

"Laguna!" the first Moomba purred as it looked at the young man´s face

"La... Laguna...?" muttered hoarsely Squall, wondering why the creature called him like that and how did it managed to actually speak to him... The SeeD´s eyes wandered through the room, finding he was no longer bound to the wall, his limbs were so numb had it not been for his sight, he would have sworn he was still hanging from the metallic plaque.

A pair of booted feet laying on the other side of the room caught his attention, his torturer was unconscious, apparently beaten up by the Moombas that had rescued him.

Squall tried to move, however his body refused to follow his command. His eyes starting to close again as exhaustion finally got the best of him.

Sacred´s mace caught almost a dozen soldiers, the poor Galbadian´s bodies crushed by the incredibly powerful Guardian´s raw strenght. Minotaur´s weapon swung inches above its head before landing heavily on one of the SAM08G units that had arrived to that floor. The mobile weapon´s twin machineguns firing against the Earth spirit, before a Thunder spell rendered its AI system useless.

Rosie and Irvine rushed past the battle, the sharpshooter´s GFs covering their advance as almost 40 men and 2 SAMS had taken defensive positions on the 12th floor. Valiant and Reaper´s trigger were squeezed numerous times, the second one only causing minor damage to its victims as Rosie prefered the Brothers to take the Galbadian´s lives.

"In here!" Irvine grabbed the raven-haired SeeD´s arm, pulling her behind a partially-opened door just before a huge blast blew the exploding SAM´s metallic parts several feet away. The cowboy reloaded his weapon, his head taking a quick look to the corridor, whose walls were scorched, but hadn´t sustained any serious damage. Many corpses lied scattered through the hall, some of them burnt thanks to the previous blast, others crushed either by the Brothers´ weapons or by the heavy SAM´s components.

"**COAST CLEAR."** Sacred´s voice sounded inside Irvine´s brain as both Guardians returned to their summoner´s mind. The cowboy nodded in return as he stood up, pulling the panting Rosie with him.

"You ok?" asked Irvine as he noticed the raven-haired was having difficulties catching her breath.

She nodded, her eyes closing as she brought her left hand to her ribs, holding her right side tightly. Her mind called forth a healing spell, the warm aura enveloping her form as she took a sharp breath, the painful injure closing slowly. A bullet´s casquet fell to the floor, clinging soundly as it left the raven-haired SeeD´s body.

Her Protect spell had faded just mere minutes before.

"Allow me." said the cowboy as he casted the magical barrier around Rosie again. "I don´t think we'd be able to walk without protection very soon." He added as he repeated the process on himself.

She looked at him and smiled a little "Seems like it... but don´t worry, we´re close."

ooo ooo

The 3 SeeDs and Rinoa´s footsteps echoed through the staircase, the 4 teenagers were arriving to the 12th floor, the little troops they had encountered in their journey up had been dispached quickly. The galbadian soldiers were no challenge to the fully armed and magically junctioned SeeDs.

The scent of death and ashes struck the teens as they finally reached the scorched hallway.

ooo ooo

He felt something warm pressed against his chest, the muffled sounds of a person´s sobs reaching his ears as he came to his senses again.

"Squall! Please, wake up!" Rosie´s anguished voice echoed through the room.

The raven-haired girl had rushed to the SeeD´s side as soon as they had entered the torture chamber. Her eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat at the sight of the unconscious man leaning against the furthest wall. She kneeled beside him, laying a hand tenderly on his chest as she casted a Curaga, the powerful healing magic coursing all the lenght of her arm to his body, enveloping Squall´s form in a bright blue and silver flash.

Half a minute passed and the SeeD didn´t stir.

_What if I screwed up? _Her entire body trembled as this thought entered her mind.

_We triggered the intruder alarm, not the escapee and – had it not been for my mistake – the anti-magic field should have been released without Irvine deactivating it manually... _

_In my intent to save my friends quickly, I could have gotten them killed..._

_And now Squall is not awakening..._

_What if he´s...?_

"Squall?" her soft voice called him as she leaned closer to the SeeD´s face. She could see his nostrils moving, her head shot down to rest on his chest. Tears start running down her cheeks as relief filled her, the SeeD´s beating heart hammering in her ears.

"I... I´m okay..." his low, hoarse voice made her head go up, her teary, dark gaze locking with his tired icy stare.

"Squall!" Rosie´s arms shot forward, holding the male SeeD tightly. He grunted as her sudden move had shot a painful jolt across his still aching spine. The raven-haired girl pulled away from him immediately after, an embarrased look on her face as she shyly said "I-I´m sorry! I..."

_I always forget you don´t like physical contact..._

"Sorry to interrupt..." Irvine said grinning as he approached the other 2 teenagers. The cowboy had been guarding the entrance, allowing Rosie to have a moment alone with their squad leader. "... but we´ve got company."

"What?!" asked Squall, slowly climbing to his feet.

ooo ooo

Zell kicked the door open.

The 4 teenagers rushed inside and came abruptly to a halt as they found their leader standing along their other 2 comrades.

"What are you doing here?" asked Rosie, her hands on her hips as she glared at the SeeDs. "I thought I told you, we were going to get Squall, didn´t I?"

"Well... we´re a little doubtful..." replied Zell, the martial artist gulping as the raven-haired SeeD narrowed her eyes. "But not because of you, Rosie... but because of him!" said the blond brawler as he turned to look at Irvine. "He´s abandoned us once, what makes you think we can trust him?"

"He didn´t abandoned us!" snapped Selphie angrily. "He´s right here, isn´t he?" asked the brunette girl crossing her arms over her chest.

Irvine´s warm smile went unoticed as Squall´s voice echoed through the room. "Enough. We have to stick together if we want to get out of here."

"Fine." replied dryly Zell. Suddenly remembering his added burden, the martial artist reached behind his shoulder, grabbing Revolver´s handle and presenting the weapon to its rightful owner. "Here. You would be needing this."

Squall´s right hand closed around the gunblade´s hilt, glad to have it again in his grasp. The SeeD leader swung his weapon expertly around, testing his sore and still tired muscles as he realized his magic-enhanced strenght was up and running again. Apparently, his GFs had been temporarily supressed and not removed from him.

"We know where is the exit." said Rosie, gaining the looks of the other teenagers. She bit her lip briefly before continuing, her stare locking with Selphie´s "We have bad knews though. The Galbadians plan to launch missiles to Trabia and Balamb Gardens..."

"WHAT?!" Zell asked, his eyes widening as he registered the news.

"It can´t be!" added Quistis, her blonde head shaking slightly in awe.

"Selphie." The tiny brunette turned to look at her raven-haired friend "Do you think you can send a message to Trabia using the equipment in the control room?"

"I-I guess so... if I can access the Garden Network..." replied Selphie nodding her head slightly. "But... are we going only to warn them?" asked the brunette, her eyes shimmering at the thought of her friends in Trabia.

"No. We can stop them..." said Rosie.

"But how...?" interrupted Rinoa, her words cut off by the raven-haired SeeD´s sharp words.

"It doesn´t matter! We don´t have time to explain it now!" Rosie put her hands on her brunette friend´s shoulders "Look, Selphie.. you´ll have to trust me on this one. Please!"

_I´d have gone earlier... but I don´t know whether I´d have to hack the base´s system... I don´t have that knowledge, but you do! _

_You were in the tech squad during the Field test and I´m sure you´ll be able to get access to the missile control system. It seems easy in the game, but if there´s something I´ve learned by being with all of you... is that this reality is far more complex than they portrait it. _

_I´m not taking chances anymore._

Selphie nodded, still shocked by the recent news.

"We´ll have to hurry... because they´re attacking Trabia first." said Rosie as she handed the tiny SeeD a key. "This is from the yellow Galbadian vehicle inside the hangar. There are some uniforms inside, that way we´ll be able to slip pass the Base´s security."

"What about Balamb?" asked Zell, his gaze settled on Rosie.

"Squall should head there to warn everyone." replied the raven-haired SeeD as she turned to look at their squad leader. "He´s in charge of the mission and it should be him who goes back to Garden."

"I agree." said Quistis nodding. The blonde woman turned to look at Squall and continued "You´re the leader Squall, it´s only fitting that you go back and report to Cid. Besides, you have to take care of your client. We can´t have Rinoa go with us in such a dangerous mission."

"But I want to help!" replied angrily Rinoa

Rosie´s heart ached as she forced herself to speak the next words "And you can... by warning everyone at Balamb Garden while we try to stop the missiles." She had finally reached a decision and - though she wanted nothing more than go with the brunet - Rosie knew the lives of the Trabian students worth much more than her selfish desire.

Even if that meant allowing Rinoa time with Squall.

The squad leader had been silent for the whole conversation, his mind analyzing the possible outcomes of their new predicament. After a minute, he finally nodded and said "Fine. Quistis and Zell will go with Selphie and Rosie, they´re going to need all the help possible. Irvine and Rinoa will come with me back to Balamb." He turned to look at the cowboy "If things get hairy, you´ll get Rinoa safely to Dollet."

The sharpshooter nodded and before anyone could add anything else, Rosie said "Well, let´s hurry! We´ve got very little time left."

ooo ooo

"Headmaster!" Xu´s lithe frame strode inside Cid´s office. "Sir, we´ve been informed the attack on the Sorceress failed. Moreover, she´s taken control of Galbadia Garden."

The Headmaster´s face hardened "How about the students and SeeDs?"

"Most of the students have been evacuated and are hiding at Dollet and Timber." Her voice softened as her face turned down to look at the floor. "However, almost all of the SeeDs have been killed... they stayed in order to protect the Garden... the ones that survived were away at the time the attack took place."

Cid slowly raised from his seat and took a couple of steps towards the huge window-like walls of his office. "So this is how it begins..."

Xu´s frown deepened "Sir?"

The Headmaster sighed deeply before frowning and turning his attention towards his second in command. "Xu, get all the SeeDs out of here at once."

"You think Galbadia would attack us too?" asked the young woman "And isn´t it better to have them around just in case?"

Cid shook his head energically. "No. SeeDs are the future, Xu. The Sorceress´s aim is to get rid of them, that´s why we can´t afford them to die defending this Garden as they did in Galbadia."

"What about the students?"

"We won´t be able to evacuate all of them before NORG makes his move." replied Cid as he turned and walked towards his desk again. "It´s only a matter of time before he knows about the mission´s failure. I´m sure the bastard will try to cover his ass. He fears Galbadia and most of all he fears _her._"

"So, we´ll stay with only the students?" asked the veteran SeeD folding her arms.

The Headmaster nodded. "SeeDs are less in numbers and with the training they´ve endured, I´m sure they´ll be able to disperse in the wind safely until the time comes." He opened a drawer and produced a minidisk "Here, this is the list of all our SeeDs, including their rank and number ID. Organize a group of 5 low to middle ranking candidates. They´ll stay here to help us with the attack, the rest will have to leave Garden in the next 6 hours. Make it gradually, so NORG´s Faculty don´t realize what´s going on until it´s too late."

"Yes, sir" Xu saluted Cid before turning around and leaving the office.

As the door closed behind his second in command, the Headmaster turned his attention to the blue skies again, his mind already traveling hundreds of miles from Balamb towards the one who plagued his daily nightmares.

Nightmares that had started to come to life.

ooo ooo

"Go! Go! GO!" shouted Irvine as he fired the incoming soldiers, Valiant´s demmolition ammo had been replaced by explosive rounds, the bullets melting iron and bones as though they were mere butter.

The SeeDs were still at the 12th level, they had just exited the interrogation room when a whole Galbadian garrison, along with the remaining SAMs and GIMs came into view. Rosie had summoned Carbuncle´s protection as her friends covered her with their attack spells, electric charges and fiery hot blasts injuring several soldiers.

The teenagers had rushed upstairs to the control room where they intended to take defensive positions. Selphie bolted towards the HD comunication panel, the tiny SeeD started working on the system, trying to establish connection with the Garden network while the others halted the Galbadian attack.

Suddenly, a powerful blast struck the room´s interior, fortunately for the SeeDs, Carbuncle´s protection absorbed most of the attack.

However, the control panels hadn´t been so lucky.

"NO!" yelled Selphie as she crawled back to the HD station she had been working on, the entire system had been destroyed, the cables were burnt and smoking. "The com device is down!"

_Damn! We can´t warn neither Garden now..._ thought Rosie as she sent another electric blast against a bulky SAM unit, hitting its 'head' and causing the machine´s AI system to burn.

"Fall back!" ordered Squall, his mind finally finishing his summoning.

As the SeeDs and Rinoa ran along the metallic corridor connecting the tower where the hangar was, the control room went completely dark. The galbadians were stunned, all of them waiting for the emergency lights to turn on, however after half a minute passed, the room remained the same. A sudden, unearthy shriek echoed through the walls, freezing the hearts of the troopers, some of them clutched their weapons tighter, while others scrambled to hide behind the remaining mobile machines.

The following seconds were a complete confusion as Diablos´s attack came from all around the soldiers. The dark Guardian slashed several bodies with its powerful claws, disappearing into his realm of shadows as the Galbadians tried to injure it with their machineguns, the blast only managing to incapacitate their fellow troopers.

Some soldiers dropped their weapons and ran in blind panic towards the corridor where the SeeDs had escaped, however, a wall of shadows quickly blocked their way, trapping the desperate troopers inside Diablos´s mortal spell.

Rosie was relieved as the cargo lift´s doors closed, muffling the Galbadian´s pained shrieks as Squall´s Guardian continued its onslaught. As they arrived to the hangar, Diablos's energy returned to his summoner´s mind, the Dark Lord´s bloodthirst had finally been quelled.

"Selphie, the yellow car!" said Rosie as she look at her friend. A strong hand closed around her upper arm, the raven-haired SeeD´s head turned, her gaze locking with an icy blue one.

"See you at Balamb Garden." said Squall as he slowly released her.

Rosie smiled warmly and nodded before saying "We´ll be there. I promise..." then she gave him the SeeD salute, which he returned.

"Good luck."


	39. Chapter 39 Subterfuge 4

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 39: Subterfuge 4**

By CelestialRage

The yellow Galbadian vehicle quickly made its way through the hot desertic sands, Selphie once again proving to be quite a daring – but skillful – driver. The SeeDs, as Rosie had told them, found several military uniforms inside one of the boxes the car carried.

The raven-haired SeeD frowned as she slid inside the smelly clothes, apparently they had been used recently and she begged all Saints in Heaven to help her endure this odyssey. She was glad the uniforms were slightly big and the armor covered their chests and hips, that way neither girl would have to worry hiding their more curvaceous bodies.

"So, what's the plan?" asked Zell as he adjusted the metallic plaque to his torso.

"We'll infiltrate the base and hack the missile control system." replied Rosie as she took a seat next to Selphie, both girls fully changed and ready.

"And then blow the place to smithereens!" squealed the tiny driver enthusiastically.

"You bet!" said the raven-haired SeeD smiling.

ooo ooo

Squall sped the gray vehicle towards the Desert Train station.

Irvine had told him that facility was used mainly to bring provisions from Deling City to the D-District Prison, it was normally heavily guarded, but with all the ruckus revolving the launching against Gardens it was most likely to be abandoned. The brunet SeeD made the Galbadian car come to a halt swiftly behind the main station's building, the 3 teenagers getting off as quickly as they could.

Squall pressed himself against the wall, his cold gaze settled on the galbadian soldiers around the place. He counted 10 troopers in his immediate range of vision, one of them had just come out of the train's engine. The SeeD leader motioned his team to follow him as he swiftly made his way towards the locomotive.

"Yeah! Can you believe it? Eileen got mad at me for goin´ fishin´ with my pals!" said one of the troopers as he folded his arms.

"Hmmm." was his comrade's reply since he was too busy checking the cargo.

"And what's worse she's made me sleep on the couch the whole week!"

"You sure pissed her off, man." replied the soldier smirking as he wrote something on the list he was holding.

His whining comrade was about to add something else, when the train's floor suddenly shuddered, both Galbadians exchanging looks as they realized what was happening.

Squall pulled a lever, the locomotive coming back to life and moving slowly along the tracks.

"Halt the train!" the shouts from a trooper could be heard.

Irvine leaned casually on the engine's railing, an amused smile on his features as he watched the Galbadians running behind the vehicle, the troopers gradually giving up as the train's engine sped up and finally disappeared in the distance.

ooo ooo

"Alright, go ahead." said the soldier guarding the entrance of the Missile Base. The SeeDs were surprised the Galbadian security in such an important faccility was so lax, they had expected some kind of confrontation in order to get inside.

"Seems lady luck is on our side!" said Zell smiling as Selphie pulled their vehicle over.

"I hope it stays that way." added Quistis, opening the passenger's door, the blonde woman carried a yellow backpack she had found inside the vehicle. Inside, were their SeeD weapons, IDs, items and clothes, the 4 teenagers armed only with Galbadian standard-issued assault rifles.

As the SeeDs walked through the parking lot, a loud chime was heard, followed by a male voice.

_The launch on Trabia Garden would be ready in 7 minutes._

_All personnel take your positions. _

_I repeat,_

_The launch on Trabia Garden would be ready in 7 minutes._

_All personnel take your positions._

"We have to stop the missiles! No matter what." said Selphie, her voice full of determination. "If there's a door, we go in. If there's anything we can break, we break it!"

Zell smiled, loudly cracking his knuckles "I like that attitude."

"Let's get a move on!" said Rosie as she started walking towards the large bunker-like structure at the end of the parking lot.

The SeeDs entered the facility, nodding to a couple of troopers as they passed by them. After climbing down a flight of stairs, the teenagers encountered their first obstacle: a couple of sliding, yellow doors stood on their way, a red light shinned above each one of them.

"The doors are locked." muttered Rosie as she turned to their comrades. "We need an ID card."

"Where are we going to get one?" asked Selphie

"Hmm... Maybe this will work?" Quistis said as she handed the raven-haired SeeD a plastic, navy blue card. "I found it inside my uniform's right pocket."

Rosie took the offered item and used it on the card-reader device located just between both doors. After a couple of seconds, the red light switched to green and a slight _buzz_ sound indicated the SeeDs the door was finally open.

"Woo-hoo!" squealed Selphie happily as she bounced slightly in place.

"Selphie, you have to control yourself or you'll give us away!" muttered Zell as he looked around, suddenly afraid someone might have seen the brunette girl's happy outburst.

"Sorry!" replied the tiny SeeD, her helmet hiding the blush covering her cheeks.

"Let's go, we don't have many time left!" urged Quistis as she followed Rosie inside. The SeeDs entered a large hall. Their footsteps echoed through the chamber as they made their way along the catwalk standing high over the many boxes and wide, perfectly-lined blue missiles resting on the cargo bay.

"That's what I call firepower!" muttered Zell, his eyes wide at the sight of the Galbadian massive weaponry.

The 4 teens kept walking casually, nodding to another soldier as they passed him by. Rosie led them further into the bunker, the SeeDs amazed by the incredible amount of soldiers and weapons inside the facility.

"Hey, you!" a male voice called behind them, the teenagers´ hearts racing as they turned around to look at a bored-looking soldier leaning against a door labeled "Missile Launchers", a grey large control panel laid beside him.

Rosie tried to make her voice as steady and deep as possible, trying her best to imitate a masculine tone "Yes, sir?"

"Have you seen the maintenance team? They're supposed to be here 15 minutes ago!"

She shook her head slightly, taking a deep breath to steady her shaking legs.

"Hmm... I see." The soldier shrugged slightly before saying "Could you do me a favor? Those lazy bastards must still be working at the cargo bay. Could you go tell them we've been ordered to check the circuit room before the launch?"

Rosie nodded before turning around and start walking away, the other SeeDs close on her heels.

"Phew! That one was close!" whispered Selphie once they were out of the soldier's earshot.

A couple of minutes later, they reached the huge cargo lift, a couple of soldiers were standing in the furthest left corner, apparently examining the elevator's control panel. As the SeeDs approached, the men´s conversation reached their ears.

"I tell you, man! This connector is broken, we won't be able to get this lift ready before the launch!"

"And I'm telling ya, we have to make it unless you want the Captain to cut our heads off!"

"Uhmm... excuse me.." muttered Rosie in her best masculine tone. Her heart skipping a beat when both troopers turned to face her. "The guys in the Missile Launcher's room asked us to tell you the circuit room has to be checked ASAP."

"Damn! I completely forgot about it!" exclaimed one of the soldiers slapping his helmet's forehead before turning to his comrade and saying "We're fucked man. There's no way we'll finish this in time!"

"I think I've figured a way out of this." muttered the other soldier before turning his attention to the SeeDs and saying "Could you guys go check the power room for us?"

"What?! Are you mad? What if the captain finds out?!" replied angrily his fellow soldier.

"It's fine. All they have to do is check everything's up and running." said the first soldier to his friend, his tone growing lower all of a sudden as he whispered "Even a monkey could do that."

His comrade grinned and nodded slightly before turning towards the teens and asking "So, would you do that for us? It's just a little check."

"Sure." replied Rosie smiling, her expression mirrored by the other SeeDs as they turned around and started their way towards the power room

"Blow this place to smithereens!" whispered Selphie happily, gaining a slight chuckle from the other teens.

A couple of minutes later, the 4 SeeDs entered the circuit room, the soldier guarding the entrance granting them access before leaving his post. Now that the maintenance team had arrived, his shift was over.

The Power Room was smaller than Rosie had thought it would be, a large panel and 3 monitors attached to the wall in the left part of the chamber occuped most of the space. A loud humming sound filled the room, its source was a huge power generator gleaming behind a bullet-proof window pane.

Selphie approached the panel, her emerald eyes wandering through the shinny buttons. Before any of the other SeeDs could act, the tiny brunette girl brought her assault rifle up and smashed the butt down the panel with all her junction-enhanced strength.

"Destroy it all!" yelled enthusiastically Selphie as she beat the shiny gizmo repeatedly.

Zell decided to join the fun, his fists smashing the monitors as Quistis and Rosie looked at the other 2 SeeDs in action. While the blonde ex-instructor was shocked, the raven-haired girl sported an amused smile on her face. Suddenly, the lights flickered, the humming of the generator dying down as the room went completely dark. An electronic voice filled the now silent atmosphere.

_Electrical System Malfunction. _

_Power generator disabled._

_Maintenance team report to the circuit room immediately._

"Better get out of here quick!" said Quistis

However, before any of the SeeDs could move, hurried footsteps could be heard behind the door. The teens pressed themselves to the walls, their rifles ready to receive their uninvited guests.

"I can't believe we have a power failure at a time like this!"

"See? I told you it wasn't a good idea to let those idiots come and check the room in our place."

"Okay, it was my mistake... uh? What the...?"

"Hey!"

The SeeDs were already in motion, rendering both soldiers unconscious effortlessly. Quistis quickly opened the door just enough so she could take a peek outside.

"Coast clear" whispered the blonde SeeD before walking out of the room. Zell jamming the knob as he closed the door behind him.

"Where is everybody?" asked Selphie as she glanced around. The hallway was completely alone, no galbadian units ran along the corridors as the SeeDs had expected them to.

"Doesn't matter, c'mon we still have work to do." said Rosie as she lead them downstairs again. _The missile control panel is right over here._ Suddenly remembering what happened next, the raven-haired girl halted and turned to look at her comrades. "Zell, Quistis, you guys go ahead. We're close the Missile Launcher room and it's probable that without power the Galbadians are forced to place them manually."

"What does that have to do with us?" asked Zell raising an eyebrow

Rosie rolled her eyes, the gesture – as much as the martial artist's previous one – went unnoticed thanks to he helmet they wore. "Well, they could ask us for help, duh! And it would be dangerous not to offer them a hand."

"I see. While we help the soldiers you will try to hack the system, right?" asked Quistis.

The raven-haired girl nodded. "Yeah, the hall is pretty much abandoned right now and we better get finished with our work before anyone gets suspicious."

"Right." said Zell nodding.

Rosie nodded back and said "We'll operate the control panel next to the door. Once you've finished inside, volunteer to check out the missile's coordinates. We'll be waiting for you outside and hopefully Selphie would have already hacked the system."

"Okay." replied Quistis as she handed Selphie the bag with their weapons. "C'mon, Zell." she said before starting to climb down the stairs leading to the Missile Launcher room. Just as the raven-haired SeeD had predicted, the door opened and a Galbadian officer walked out.

"Hey, guys. Could you lend us a hand in here? The power's out and we need to push the last launcher in its place."

"Sure." replied Zell nodding as he and Quistis followed the soldier back into the room, the blonde woman closing the door after her.

Rosie and Selphie crouched in the shadows, both SeeDs out of the soldier's range of view as they witnessed the events unfold. Once the door was closed, Rosie stood up and, as quietly as possible, walked towards the control panel.

"That was too good for a guess." muttered Selphie standing beside her friend. Her frown covered by the Galbadian helmet as she gazed at the raven-haired's face.

"Well.. got lucky that's all." replied Rosie smiling nervously.

"There's something you're not telling me, Rosie. You can't hide your feelings from me, I know you too well." whispered Selphie as she centered her attention in the screen before her. Fortunately for them, the base's back-up generator had the only purpose to keep the main circuits operational and the missile control system was obviously one of them.

Rosie sighed and turned to look at her friend. "Look, I promise to tell you everything as soon as we get out of here, ok?"

The brunette girl's stare settled on the girl at her side again as she asked "Promise?"

The raven-haired SeeD nodded "Yeah, promise."

ooo ooo

"I-I don't know, sir..." said nervously captain Rowling. Sweat ran down his forehead as Commander Okamoto roared on the phone. "... y-yes, sir... I know the launch was supposed to take place 2 minutes ago, but... n-no, sir, I'm already working on it..."

The soldier cringed once again before he set down the speaker.

He sighed and turned to his subordinates. "What is taking the maintenance team so long?! Go take a look! I want the power restored to the base ASAP! Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" A couple of Galbadian soldiers stood up from their stations and saluted the enraged man before bolting out the room.

Rowling turned to look at the monitors behind him and sighed again. He couldn't believe this! His entire career was on stake now! And all thanks to a power malfunction! The Galbadian captain's eyes settled on the leftmost monitor, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the lone two figures standing just where the missile control panel was.

... What if the blackout hadn't been just a coincidence?

ooo ooo

"Let's see..." muttered Selphie as she quickly accessed some codes, the image displaying on the monitor resembling a Matrix screensaver. Rosie looked at the unintelligible signs, amazed at her friend's technical knowledge.

Hers wasn´t nowhere beyond than adding more MP3 songs to her Ipod...

A minute or so later, the brunette girl´s voice was heard again "Woo-hoo! We're online!"

"Well done, Selph." said the raven-haired SeeD as she glanced at the familiar menu options.

TARGET

EQUIPMENT

SIMULATION

EXIT

Rosie's index finger settled on the first option, the touch screen recognizing her request. The first menu fading while a new one appeared.

SET TARGET

SET ERROR RATIO

DATA UPLOAD

EXIT

"Hey, let's change the target!" said Selphie as she tapped the first option before Rosie could even move. A flashing yellow sign appeared on screen telling the SeeDs only authorized personnel such as the system administrator or Commander Okamoto could change the coordinates.

"We don't have the password it requires..." muttered Rosie

"Maybe I can hack it!" replied Selphie as her fingers started working on the keyboard again, the screen flicking before shutting down.

"Hey! What happened?" asked the raven-haired girl anxiously.

"Ups! Sorry... their Firewall system is worst than I thought... these codes are brutal!" said the brunette girl tapping some keys and starting the device again. "Uhm... nope... it would take me about half an hour to get past all these security codes..."

"Well... we don't have that time, Selph..." muttered Rosie, a little disappointment evident in her tone although she tried her best to hide it. "Let's just set the error ratio to its maximum, that way the missiles would surely fail."

"... Okay." replied Selphie as she accessed the previous screen once more.

Rosie tapped the rightmost control, the hit error ratio going to its maximum level. Afterwards, the raven-haired SeeD tapped the UPLOAD option, the system began rewriting the ratio data inside every missile's head. Just to be sure, both girls decided to run a simulation. The screen changed, displaying a world map, zooming on the Galbadia continent and showing the missiles´ trajectory towards the northern lands of Trabia.

"Well, seems we did it right." said Selphie pointing at the lower right part of the screen. "Look, the accuracy is only of 20 to 30. That´s practically a miss, right?"

"Yeah. Now all we have to do to ensure those missiles don't reach the Gardens is to blow this place up!" replied Rosie smiling.

She finally had been able to change something for good!

The sound of a cocking gun made both girls jump in surprise.

"Well, well, well... what do you guys think you're doing, uh?" asked Rowling as he pointed his gun at the suspicious soldiers´ back.

Rosie forced herself to settle down, she bit her lip before replying in the calmest voice she could muster "We were just checking the missiles coordinates, sir."

"Is that so?" asked the Galbadian captain incredulously. "I think we should have a word in the control room." Rowling turned to the 2 soldiers that had accompanied him and said "Gentlemen, please escort our friends upstairs."

As Rosie and Selphie walked down the corridor, the captain noticed the yellow duffle bag lying next to the panel.

ooo ooo

"PUSH!" yelled the maintenance soldier as he led a 4-troopers unit in order to move the heavy launcher back on its place.

The large metallic device moved slowly until a _crack_ was heard, indicating the launcher was finally in position. The 4 soldiers heaved, two of them mostly for show as their junctions made this kind of physical work meaningless.

"Good work, everyone! Captain Rowling will be pleased to know we are ready to launch." said the maintenance trooper as he checked the paperwork he held. "Slightly behind schedule, but still the operation is on..."

Quistis approached the soldier and feigning a male voice said "Sir, should we check on the coordinates?"

The Galbadian nodded "Yes. Take this ID card and use the panel just beside the door while I go upstairs to report to the Captain."

"Yes, sir." replied the blonde woman as she saluted him briefly before she and Zell walked out of the room.

As the maintenance soldier walked pass them, the SeeDs turned to look at the place the missile control panel stood...

However, none of their comrades was there.

ooo ooo

"So, you're SeeDs from Balamb..." said Rowling smiling as he looked at the items inside the bag, his hand holding their blue ID cards. "Miss... Tilmitt, Selphie Tilmitt and... Miss Rossane Bennett." The captain's eyes settled on the bound girls in front of him, their heads were finally free from the galbadian helmets, although they still wore the blue uniform and silver armor. Two heavy rifle cannons were aiming directly to their temples. "You really thought you'd be able to halt our attack on your precious Gardens?"

"Well, we kind of did..." whispered Selphie, gaining a slight smile from her raven-haired friend.

"I see you ladies have just been able to fix the hit ratio of our BAG0003A class missiles." said the Galbadian officer as he watched the data displayed on the central monitor. "Well, I guess we'll just have to settle it back at 100 again." A wicked smile formed on his lips as he spoke the next words "But this time… and seeing you've come through so much trouble just to ensure your precious Garden is safe... I think we'll change the target and attack your home first."

"What?!" Rosie's heart gave a somersault.

_This is not supposed to happen!!_

Rowling chuckled as he picked the phone. "I'm sure Commander Okamoto would agree with me. He's always one to return the favours..."

ooo ooo

He could feel a slight familiar vibration inside his left pocket. "Excuse me." He muttered courteously as he answered the phone. "Commander Okamoto." His lips tightened in rage at the sound of Rowling's voice "How dare you... what? ... SeeDs in the Base?!"

"SeeDs?" asked a sharp male voice, making the Commander turn around to face the blond, tall teenager standing a few feet from him.

"Y-Yes, sir Almasy." replied Okamoto fearfully as he spared a quick glance to the woman sitting on the furthest corner of the small white room. "Captain Rowling has captured a couple of female SeeDs inside the Missile Base, apparently they were trying to stop the launching."

"I see..." muttered Seifer, a smirk showing on his face as he said "Is there a way we can have visual? I want to see what these SeeDs look like."

"Eeehh... Visual, sir? Uhm... y-yeah, I'll order the Tech squad to settle an operational link with the base right away." Okamoto returned his attention to the phone call, his frown deepening as Rowling made his request. "I can't decide that now... but I think it's a good idea... wait..." the Commander gulped slightly as he turned again towards the blond teenager and asked "Excuse me, sir Almasy... but... Do you think we could change the target? I think those Balamb SeeDs deserve to see their home destroyed first."

Seifer´s head turned to look at the Sorceress sitting a couple of feet behind him. Her stance didn't change, a very little smile was all her reply. The blond nodded, his smirk widening as he turned his attention to Okamoto again and said:

"Do it."

ooo ooo

Rowling's face brightened "Yes, sir. Right away!" His hand settled down the speaker as his eyes returned to the girls in front of him. "You can say bye, bye to your home, SeeDs!" he said smiling widely as he entered the password required to change the target coordinates on a small keyboard, before turning his attention to the other 2 soldiers in the room "Prepare all the systems. Connect all the emergency powerline to this cabin, the operation **Weed-pruning** starts its second phase."

"Sir, yes sir!" replied the soldiers saluting before rushing to their posts.

The Galbadian Captain approached the panel at his right and pulsed a wide red button. "I'm sure you'd like to share this important moment with your comrades... Mr. Zell Dincht and Miss Quistis Trepe, so let's have them get in here, shall we?" said Rowling smiling as the alarm's loud claxon echoed through the entire building.

ooo ooo

_Intruder alert!_

_Intruder alert!_

_All personnel to battle stations!_

_I repeat_

_All personnel to battle stations!_

"Damn!" muttered Zell as the electronic voice faded. "They must have discovered Rosie and Selphie!"

Quistis nodded, her frown hidden by the helmet she wore. The ex-instructor's mind raced with a thousand questions. Were both girls safe? Had the galbadians taken them prisoners or had murdered them? ... But if they had already disposed of them, then why sound the alarm? Unless they had either escaped or...

"The bag!" exclaimed Quistis suddenly. "The Galbadians must have found our stuff."

"Then maybe Rosie and Selphie are still alive. They should have left the bag laying around when they escaped." the martial artist frowned "But how are we going to find them?"

"We must go to the Control Room and stop the launch first." said the blonde woman coldly "We have to finish our objectives for Garden's sake. Then... we'll figure out something..." Quistis´s grip on the assault rifle tightened as she turned towards the stairs. "C'mon, Zell!"

ooo ooo

"We have visual, sir Almasy!" said Okamoto as the plasma screen the tech squad had installed flickered slightly before displaying an image of the Base's Control Room. The link they had established allowed the Knight and the Commander to witness the events unfold thanks to the security camera attached to the chamber's ceiling. Although there was no audio, the ex-cadet could perfectly read the lips of those he was watching.

Seifer´s smirk faded slightly at the sight before him.

_I knew they would escape eventually... but I didn't expected them to do it so soon and less to try and infiltrate our Missile Base in some suicide mission. _

His stare settled on the crouching raven-haired figure, his eyes widening as he detected a faint green aura enveloping her frame.

ooo ooo

"Selphie, now!" yelled Rosie as she rammed her shoulder against the soldier pointing at her. Her junction-enhanced blow knocking the air out of his lungs, the heavy rifle dropping to the floor, a bullet escaping the barrel...

... and being deflected by Carbuncle´s magical protection.

The raven-haired SeeD had whispered her friend her plan in the minute they used to climb the stairs, their deliberately loud steps on the metal surface muffling their hurried conversation. Both girls agreeing to lay low until Rosie had finished her summoning on the tiny Guardian, ensuring them the protection they'd need against the soldiers´ weapons. Selphie knew that no matter how fast they tried to cast Protect spells on themselves, there was a slight possibility that the soldiers pulled the trigger before they had finished.

Even half a second could mean life or death

But with a Guardian, it was completely different. The SeeDs could guide their attack or – in this case – defense, without looking suspicious. And, of course, the GF could manipulate its powers in fractions of a second, which, was not the case for SeeDs. The only ones matching – and even surpassing – the Guardians´ magical power and speed were Sorceresses.

Selphie´s bindings broke as the tiny brunette girl moved her arms to the sides, the rope pieces falling to the floor.

That was yet another mistake the Galbadians had made, they'd bound the SeeDs with ordinary rope and haven't even drew their GFs and magic out of them.

Selphie´s left hand shot up, her palm striking hard the soldier's chin, the heavy blow immediately rendering him unconscious. The brunette girl smiled as she reminded herself to thank Zell later. Watching the martial artist as he practiced his katas, had just proved to be useful.

The tiny SeeD quickly grabbed the assault rifle, her finger squeezing the trigger. A rain of bullets showered through the room, the galbadian technicians injured by the numerous rounds, their lifeless bodies falling off their seats and landing heavily on the floor. Rosie was already in motion too, her electric spell catching Rowling squarely on the chest, his entire frame shaking as the powerful wave traveled the length of his body. The Captain fell to his knees before finally falling with a thud, a thin column of smoke leaving his body.

"Woo-hoo!" exclaimed happily Selphie as she placed the heavy rifle on her right shoulder, while her left fist raised up in the air.

"Never underestimate girls, mister!" said Rosie smiling, her now free hands on her hips as she looked at the fallen Galbadian captain.

Suddenly, the door slammed open, both girls turning around immediately, Selphie´s rifle already pointing at the entrance as her raven-haired friend ducked quickly and retrieved the other weapon, directing the cannon at the same place the brunette was aiming at.

"It's us!!" yelled Quistis as she entered the room, her blonde hair finally free from her helmet. "We heard the ruckus and figured you'd be in here!"

Rosie and Selphie brought their weapons down at the sight of their friends. "Glad you´re ok!" said Zell as he quickly bolted the door shut behind him. A whistle leaving his lips as he glanced at the galbadian corpses lying around "You had a hell of a time, didn´t ya?"

"Yeah! And its about to get better!" replied Selphie as she settled her rifle against a grey wide panel, her fingers starting to work on the keyboard Rowling had used to change the missile's target. Her eyes widened as the screen turned red, a light flashing at its right. "Damn! The system has gone ballistic!"

"What?!" asked Rosie quickly approaching to the brunette's side. "What do you mean?!"

"The countdown has reached – 60 seconds..." muttered Selphie as she turned to look at the raven-haired girl beside her. "... it can't be aborted now...not without the password..."

Quistis covered her mouth as the news struck them. Zell and Rosie´s eyes widened in disbelief. All their hard work had been for naught!

"No! There must be a way!" muttered the raven-haired anxiously. "We have to give it shot! Can we change the error ratio back to the max again?"

Selphie´s fingers were already in motion, the brunette girl working as fast as she could. "... No, the system doesn't allow any changes now, not without the password."

"Let's try random words..." suggested Quistis "How about Sorceress or Edea?"

"Negative." replied the tiny SeeD after she entered the info. "Let´s see... What was that Commander's name? Oka... Okamoto! NO?! Well, Seifer maybe? Almasy, Knight... ehm... what else?"

"Galbadia, Deling... world conquer... SeeD, Garden.." Zell suggested as he leaned closer to the screen, praying the red light would turn off as each word was entered.

However the result was always the same, the screen displaying only one devastating line.

INCORRECT PASSWORD.

_It has to be something very important and difficult... but what?_ Rosie's eyes widened as an idea flashed in her mind. It was a dangerous stunt and maybe it would be futile, but it was well worth a shot at that point.

The raven-haired´s voice trembled as she said "... try ... Ultimecia..."

"Ultimecia?" asked Zell, raising an eyebrow "What´s that?"

"It´s the password!!" squealed Selphie as the screen returned to normal, the red light finally turning off as the brunette girl entered the command to abort the launching.

The SeeDs released their breath as the counter came to a halt with only 10 seconds remaining.

ooo ooo

Okamoto´s eyes widened as the teens in the screen celebrated their success. "H-how did they...?"

His voice was cut off by Seifer´s sharp tone "She knew."

_But how?! _

_Only the 3 of us knew the password... and only 2 of us understand its meaning. How the hell did she figured it out?!_

The Commander's eyes turned to look at the blond Knight, whose face was a mix between surprise and anger. Seifer´s frown deepened as he sensed the woman leaving her seat, her delicate steps growing nearer with each passing second.

The Knight shuddered slightly as her claw-like fingers closed around his right shoulder. Edea´s breath tickled his ear as she whispered something to him before her amber eyes settled on the smiling raven-haired girl on the screen. The Sorceress's expression became darker as an evil smirk formed on her lips.

Seifer´s trademark gesture returned as well, his green eyes slightly clouded as he gazed at the SeeDs on the screen and muttered "As you wish, my Sorceress."

ooo ooo

"Well, now let´s find the self-destruct system!" said Rosie as she placed Reaper back on her hips.

"You sure there's something like that here?" asked Zell.

"You kidding? There´s ALWAYS a self-destruct system!" replied Selphie happily, her oversized nunchakus strapped on her back once more. The brunette was already working on the base´s security codes, disabling all the mobile weapons like SAMS or GIMS, so the SeeDs way back to the surface was as relatively easy as possible.

"Hey, guys! I think I found it!" called Quistis from the small room adjacent to the chamber they were in. The blonde SeeD looked at the large grey panel in front of her and tapped a couple of buttons. The interface was surprisingly easy giving the importance of the device. "It´s asking me to set a time limit..."

"How about 10 minutes?" said Rosie looking at the screen over the blonde woman´s shoulder "We can jam the door with some of our Blizzaras and they wouldn´t have time to change what we´ve done."

Quistis frowned a little "But maybe it´s not enough time for us to get out of here."

"Well, then settle 20 minutes and I´ll summon Shiva." suggested Zell shrugging.

"20 minutes sounds fine to me!" Selphie´s loud voice reached the SeeDs from the other room, the brunette girl finishing her work on the Base´s system.

"Well... here goes nothing." muttered Quistis as she tapped the second option. The screen went blank as new alarm echoed through the building, replacing the intruder's one.

_The self-destruct sequence has been activated, this sequence may not be aborted _

_All personnel has 20 minutes to evacuate._

_I repeat_

_The self-destruct sequence has been activated, this sequence may not be aborted_

_All personnel has 20 minutes to evacuate._

_I repeat_

_The self-destruct..._

"Well, ladies. Let´s get outta here." said Zell smiling as he turned around, grabbed the yellow bag still containing their clothes, items and IDs and bolted towards the door. The martial artist opened it slightly and took a peek outside, the galbadian soldiers were already fleeing the Base in blind panic, not even noticing the smiling blond at the top of the Control Room stairway.

"We better put this back on." said Quistis handing Zell a Galbadian helmet. The blonde woman smiling as she noticed the grim look in the martial artist´s face. "Now, don´t pout! It would be easier for us to leave the place if we look like them."

ooo ooo

Sergeant Montgomery kept his eyes trained on the bunker´s entrance, the fleeing soldiers passing by the huge weapon he and other 2 galbadian troopers were inside of.

"Sergeant? E-excuse me, sir... but what are we exactly waiting for? Shouldn´t we be evacuating like everyone else?" asked nervously the soldier sitting at his right side.

Montgomery smirked. "We´re waiting for the intruders, corporal. I think Sorceress Edea would be greatly pleased if we deliver their corpses. Besides, her wrath would be terrible if we allowed them to escape." His eyes narrowed as a small group of soldiers ran out of the bunker. The sergeant's smirk widened as he noticed the giant nunchakus strappled on the tiniest trooper´s back. "There they are!" said the Galbadian officer pointing at the SeeDs. "Show them the power of the Iron Clad! Charge the Beam Cannon!"

"Yes, sir!" both soldiers replied as they worked on their respective stations.

"Target set."

"Beam cannon ready!"

Montgomery´s smile returned "FIRE!"

The Galbadians´ vision was blinded as the Iron Clad´s main weapon released its terribly powerful attack. The Sergeant's smile widened at the thought of the burnt corpses he would deliver to Edea, surely the Sorceress would promote him to Captain!

However, as the smoke receded, the Galbadian´s smile faded.

The 4 intruders were still standing, all of them shielded by a huge green-translucent dome.

"S-s-sir?" one of the soldiers called, astonished by the lack of damage the fake troopers had received by the Iron Clad's most powerful weapon. "W-what now?"

"Recharge the cannon!" ordered coldly Montgomery, his eyes narrowing as he noticed the intruders stood in place. "What the hell are they doing?" muttered the Sergeant as he watched one of them bow his head slightly.

The answer came as an extremely bright flash.

Quetzalcoatl´s shriek was heard, the Thunder God enveloped the Galbadian MRV, its body changing to pure energy form as it entered the Iron Clad, burning all the systems.

"Ahhh!! Sergeant!" yelled in panic one of the soldiers as the panel in front of him exploded, sparks blowing everywhere inside the cabin.

"Keep attacking them!" ordered Montgomery angrily. "Use the machineguns!"

The heavy-round bullets left the twin oversized cannons, flying at lightspeed towards the intruders, only to be deflected by the green dome.

Another roar was heard.

The cabin´s temperature rose as a massive pair of paws grabbed the sides of the Iron Clad. The galbadians´ terrified yells were muffled by Ifrit´s unearthy roar as the GF increased the heat around its tight grip, melting the power generators located inside the BGH251F2-1´s turrets.

"Let´s get out of here!" shrieked one of the soldiers as he kicked open the MRV´s rear door.

"Hey! Come back here, you cowards!" yelled the Sergeant angrily as he turned to look at the already retreating soldiers. His attention drifted as another roar was heard, his head turning to look at the massive Guardian´s teeth as it released its battle cry.

Without thinking it twice, Montgomery jumped out of the Iron Clad as it collapsed against the Base´s high metallic walls, his body flying out of the facility's perimeter due to the collision's momentum.

Both Guardians roared again before returning to the minds of their summoners.

ooo ooo

"Woo-hoo!! We did it!" yelled Selphie happily as the Galbadian gargantuan weapon stayed still.

"We gotta get out of here at once!" ordered Zell

"How?" replied Quistis "We´re trapped! That thing is blocking the only entrance!"

She was right. Even with their junctions, they wouldn´t be able to either jump the high wall or move the extremely heavy Iron Clad enough to get out the Base. And even if they did, the explosion's destructive wave would surely be of more than a mile...

"So... that´s it?" Zell´s head went down "I... I thought I was prepared for this day, but..."

"Stop it!" ordered Rosie, the other teenagers turning to face her. "We´re not dying here. C´mon!" she said before bolting towards the Galbadian MRV. "We´ll use this thing´s shield and cast every protective spell we have in stock, understood?"

The SeeDs nodded, a slight hope that they may survive this ordeal lighting their hearts.

Suddenly, the floor rocked. The 4 teens scrambled inside the Iron Clad, Zell shutting the door behind them. Multiple spells were released around the MRV as the first blasts reached the SeeDs´ ears.

With the second round of explosions, an unexpected thing happened.

A couple of cylinders rose in a 45° angle, rotating and directing their ends towards the east.

ooo ooo

Rowling coughed, blood leaving his mouth and painting the screen below him in a sickening crimson hue. If he was going to leave this world, then he might as well take some SeeDs to Hell with him!

The Captain´s smiling face disappeared behind a thick smoke cloud

ooo ooo

Rosie´s eyes widened as a pair of blue missiles left the launchers.

_But... this was supposed to happen before the battle!! _

_I thought we had stopped them for good!! _

Her mind suddenly recalled the hit ratio was still at 100... she´d been so sure they had finally halted the attack, none of the SeeDs had settled the error ratio back to the maximum.

_Squall!!_

The raven-haired girl´s scream was lost as the missiles still inside the Base exploded, the chain reaction resulting in a huge blast that was clearly visible even from the distant Deling City.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note:_

_Hi everyone again! I forgot to place a note on the previous chap... I kind of updated it in a hurry (guess it shown :D), but anyway, I want to apologize for the late update. I had a LOT of trouble deciding which way Rosie should take:_

_Going with Squall to Balamb and go through the whole Garden ordeal (which, btw is one of my favorite parts of the game), NORG battle and the Ellone scenario._

_Going with Selphie to the Missile Base and ensure Trabia survives the attack._

See? That was a tough call!! But I think I made the right decision in the end and hopefully it would work out for what I´ve been planning on the next chapters. :D

_Anyway, I want to thank Revir for pointing me the pros and cons of each situation, it really helped me to put things into perspective. Oh, and ADarkKnight too! Because his previous review made me consider some things I haven´t even thought about before! :D Of course, I want to thank all of you who keep reading this story and reviewing it. You are the ones that keep me going :D_

_Well, enough about the last chap, now onto this one._

_I hope you enjoyed reading this, I sure had fun writing it! Even though it was LONG, very, very LONG._

_Just a side note: my technical knowledge is a little wider than Rosie´s... I also know how to delete the songs I don´t want anymore lol! :D_

_... sorry, too much coffee ..._

_Anyway, I hope "Weed-pruning" is well written... I was referring to getting rid of weeds in a garden or Garden in this case. Oh! And Commander Okamoto´s name is actually mentioned in the yellow alert screen that appears when you try to change the target, so I didn´t make him up, just Rowling._

_And for all those Resident Evil fans, I used the typical self-destruct sequence script :D, just added a few lines more, but it´s essentially the same (I could even hear the voice saying those lines during the game as I wrote them)_

_What else? Hmm... nope I think that´s it... :D_

_Well, gotta go. Work calls again :S_

_Love you all!_

_And remember: Moombas rule the universe!_

Celestial Rage


	40. Chapter 40 Friend or foe?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 40: Friend or foe?**

By CelestialRage

"Irvine..." Rosie's voice made him turn to face her as he closed the vehicle's door. The raven-haired girl's eyes locked with his, the cowboy frowned at the fear evident in them. "I... I have... a confession to make..."

When she said nothing more, Irvine asked "What is it, doll? You seem pretty disturbed." The sharpshooter grinned widely and said "If you're going to confess your undying love for me..."

Rosie's cheeks burned as she replied frowning "What?! No! Of course that's not it!"

The cowboy chuckled at the girl's reaction. "I knew, but it doesn't hurt to try, right? C'mon, tell me what's on your mind."

Her gaze shot down to her hands, her embarrassment fading as the weight of the situation finally struck her.

_How should I start?_

"Irvine... I... I lied about being from Galbadia Garden..." she turned her gaze towards his face again, the cowboy remained silent, encouraging her to continue. Rosie bit her lower lip and took a deep breath before finally saying "... But that's not all... I... I'm not even from... this world..."

The sharpshooter raised an eyebrow "So you're an alien or something? C'mon, Rosie. I'm not in the mood for bad jokes right now."

"No! It's not a joke, believe me!" said the raven-haired anxiously. Tears were gathering at the corner of her eyes as her dark brown gaze pleaded the cowboy to trust her.

_This was exactly the reaction I've been dreading... _

_Please don't push me away! Don't leave me alone! _

"I know it sounds crazy but it's true!"

"Right..." replied Irvine sarcastically as he placed the key into the ignition and turned on the car's engine.

"How else would I know about the orphanage when none of your childhood friends remember it?"

The cowboy froze.

His head turned to face the raven-haired girl, a tear escaped her right eye and ran down her cheek. "The orphanage?" muttered Irvine still astonished. He didn't remember Rosie being there...

The raven-haired girl nodded "Selphie, Squall, Quistis, Zell, Seifer and yourself were at an orphanage in the coast of the Centra continent. They don't remember thanks to the secondary effects of the GFs, but you haven't lost your childhood memories because you just junctioned a Guardian recently."

"You could have learned that from our records at Garden." replied Irvine folding his arms, his blue eyes locking with her dark brown ones. "That doesn't prove anything."

"How about the night you set off fireworks at the beach? It was just the 6 of you." Rosie said wiping her tears with the back of her hand "Or how about your Sis Ellone? Or Edea?" the raven-haired suppressed a smile as she looked at the sharpshooter's shocked expression. "Edea Kramer was your Matron, she raised you and the others as their own mother in the orphanage and I know you couldn't help but miss the shot back at Deling City. I saw you hesitate, Irvy. Oh! And that's another one... Selphie used to call you Irvy when you were little... and you used to play War with the others... except Squall, of course. After Ellone left the orphanage he was always waiting for her to return..."

"H...how...?" The sharpshooter couldn't muster anything else

"I told you. I'm not from this world, dimension or whatever it is..." Rosie replied smiling slightly "Whether you believe it or not... I kind of 'appeared' near Balamb Garden about a week ago... I still don't know how, but it happened."

"... So, what are you...?"

Rosie cocked her head to the side "What do you mean?"

Irvine scratched nervously the back of his head as he said "Well... you're some kind of goddess looking after this world or something like that?"

The raven-haired chuckled "Of course not!" She smiled warmly, this was going better than she would have expected. "I'm just a normal teenager. A week ago, I didn't even know how to fire a gun, nevermind casting magic... that doesn't even exist in my world."

"Well, seems you're a good learner." replied the cowboy smiling slightly too.

"No, I had already the basics. I know everything about the different classes of magic and which monsters hold it." said Rosie shrugging "That's how I managed to pass the SeeD written test."

He frowned a little and said "What I don't understand is how you know so much about "this world" as you label it."

Rosie's smile faded. _How can I explain that his whole life is a videogame? _"... Because I've seen it."

"How?"

The raven haired shook her head slightly "Nevermind that..."

"No! Tell me, I really want to know."

Rosie took a deep breath "I've seen it in a videogame."

"Videogame?" asked the sharpshooter frowning "What do you mean?"

"Irvine... I know you because you're... a videogame character." The raven-haired's voice faltered in the last words, her eyes settling on the cowboy's face as she nervously bit her lower lip waiting for his reaction.

After a couple of silent minutes, the sharpshooter's voice finally was heard again, this time however, his tone was weak and unsure "D-do the others know?" asked Irvine frowning.

The raven-haired girl shook her head. "No. Just you..."

"Why me, Rosie? Why are you telling _me_ this?!" asked the cowboy angrily.

"Because you're the only one that remembers the orphanage." replied the raven-haired girl honestly, her sincere dark gaze locking with his unsure blue one. "And I need you to believe me to save the others and also Trabia Garden."

Irvine remained silent for a minute, his eyes turning from her face to the hangar walls. He was confused like hell! What was he supposed to do now? He just couldn't believe his life was part of a videogame and that this girl, was from another world... but she had given him facts that no one else aside from the 4 teenagers trapped inside the prison and himself knew... and that only – thanks to the GFs – he remembered now.

_Could I trust her? _

_... Should I trust her? _

Finally, after what seemed an eternity to her, the cowboy muttered "I must be crazy..." He shook his head as his right hand turned off the engine. His gaze returned to her face as he said "Okay, doll. Tell me what's the plan."

Rosie beamed and replied "Thanks, Irvy."

He nodded and offered her a weak smile. The raven-haired knew it was still difficult for him to assimilate everything she'd told him, but trusted... no, hoped he'll finally accept her and her confession. Rosie smiled inwardly, she felt so much better now that someone else shared her secret. The burden seemed lighter and the possibilities broader.

Maybe this time she'll be able to change something for good.

ooo ooo

Irvine jolted from his semi-asleep state as the car bumped a small obstacle. The cowboy shook his head as he sat straight in the rear seat of the vehicle, the memory of Rosie's 'confession' playing briefly in his mind again, as it had done during his slumber attempt.

The rented vehicle sped through the green plains, Squall's eyes settled on the nearing shinny, blue structure. The SeeD sighed in relief, his fears receding a little as Balamb Garden's majestic frame came into view.

"Seems they did it!" said Irvine smiling as he leaned forward, his elbows resting on both front seats and his eyes gazing for the first time at the gorgeous eastern SeeD facility.

Squall came to a halt just outside the Front Gate, his frown deepening as he noticed the entrance to the underground parking lot was closed. The SeeD leader came out of the car quickly, his eyes scanning the building's structure in order to detect other anomalies, but finding none.

_Everything seems ok... _

However, if he had learned something in all his years of training at Garden and dueling with Seifer it was to always expect the unexpected...

Never letting your guard down, for there could be nasty consequences.

_The missiles could still be on their way. I don't want to think they failed, but we better assume the attack is on. If we relax now, we may not react until it's too late..._

"Let's report to Headmaster Cid. C'mon!" said Squall as he rushed inside Garden's domains, the other two teenagers close on his heels.

The SeeDs made their way inside the outer gardens, the flooding water's sound accompanying their hurried footsteps. As they approached the entrance, Squall's expression grew darker when he noticed some cadets running around the place, some of them were gathered around a Faculty member who seemed to be giving them instructions.

Squall's mind rushed with hundreds of questions. Could it be possible that the news about Galbadia's missile attack had reached Garden before them? Were they already evacuating?

"Find the Headmaster!" the Faculty's loud voice reached the SeeDs' ears "Seize him! Kill him if you have to!" The cadets nodded and rushed inside the main building.

The SeeD leader blinked in surprise.

_What?! _

_Did he just say...? _Deciding to get some answers straight from the source, he took a couple of steps towards the Faculty, his right hand closing around Revolver's hilt as he approached. The administrative staff member heard his footsteps and turned around.

"What are you doing there? Didn't you hear me? Go find Cid!" the man stared at the teenager in front of him for a second before taking a step backwards and bringing an accusatory hand up at him "You?! You're one of Kramer's SeeDs!" the last word had barely left the Faculty's lips when a couple of cadets rushed to his side, both boys armed with saber-like swords.

Squall's stare shifted from the staff member to his fellow cadets.

_What the hell is going on here?_

"Seize the SeeD!" ordered the Faculty as he moved backwards, leaving both cadets to face Squall alone. The boys´ knees trembled slightly as the SeeD unsheathed his gunblade. Everyone in Garden knew of Squall's reputation as one of the 2 best fighters in the facility. His status only matched by his rival, Seifer Almasy.

"Why don't you just give in, Squall? I really don't want to fight you..." said one of the cadets as he took a couple of steps forward, his body shaking visibly as he approached the brunet.

A couple of gunshots were heard followed by the clattering of metal against the paved ground. Irvine's face lightened up with a smirk as he shouldered the still smoking Valiant and said "Then don't do it."

The Faculty turned around and bolted inside the building at the sight of the cowboy's amazing speed and accuracy.

"What was all that about?" asked Squall to one of the still shocked cadets.

"Don't harm us! We were just following orders!!" yelled the terrified boy, raising his hands in the air, his stare fixed on Revolver's hard and sharp edge.

Squall rolled his eyes and sheathed his gunblade "Orders from who?"

"The Garden Master." replied the other cadet still trembling slightly.

"Garden Master?" asked the brunet SeeD frowning. He had never heard about a person with such a title before...

"Yeah, a guy named NORG... The Faculty threatened us with expulsion unless we agreed to join their faction." said the first cadet "They're nuts, man! They even got some monsters from the Training Center loose in order to fight the SeeDs still at Garden."

Squall had heard enough, though he still didn't quite get what was going on, he knew he had to find Cid before any of the Faculty or their allies did. The brunet SeeD motioned his comrades to follow him before turning around and running inside the facility without another word to the still trembling cadets.

The sounds of the battle reached the SeeDs' ears as soon as they stepped inside the Garden. It was a complete chaos. Students ran around, some of them forming small groups around the Faculty members, the characteristic cries of Grats could be heard in the distance as well as the clanging of swords and the powerful blasts caused by Fire spells.

"SQUALL!"

The brunet SeeD turned around at the sound of the familiar female voice calling him, finding Fujin and Raijin near the directory.

"Where is Cid?" demanded Squall as they neared Seifer's posse.

"I dunno. Garden´s a complete chaos, ya know? The Faculty ordered to round up the SeeDs and now everyone´s either joining the Garden Master of Headmaster´s side, ya know?" replied Raijin shrugging.

"DISTURBING." said Fujin shaking her head lightly.

"Yeah, disappointin' for the Disciplinary Committee. All our hard work for nothin'..."

Squall's icy tone interrupted Raijin's words "Forget about that. Galbadian missiles are coming this way!"

"WHAT?" asked the albino woman, her normally cold expression gone. Her eyes and mouth were wide open in shock as the news registered in her mind.

"We gotta get outta here!" said Raijin in panic before his shin was hardly kicked by Fujin's boot. "Oouuch! Geez, alright!" the dark-skinned teenager rubbed his injury before turning towards Squall and adding "We'll warn everyone about the missiles. Man, this is no time to be fighting, ya know?"

Squall nodded and said "We'll look for the Headmaster. You guys should evacuate as soon as possible."

"CAUTION!" warned Fujin and Raijin nodded

"Those Garden Master's goons are everywhere and the fighting is really intense, so you better watch it, ya know?"

"Who are you guys with?" asked Rinoa looking between Seifer's friends.

"Headmaster or Garden Master?" asked Irvine folding his arms.

"SEIFER." replied the albino woman shrugging slightly as a very small smile showed in her face.

Raijin nodded smiling as well "Just like Fu said. We're with Seifer, always have and always will, ya know?" They exchanged looks before turning towards the other teenagers and nodding "Well, see ya later!" with that, both friends rushed off towards a group of students.

Squall watched them leave and couldn't help but ask himself what would they do when they learned that Seifer had joined the Sorceress and was behind the missile attack... The SeeD shook his head lightly, dismissing these thoughts and focusing once more on the task at hand.

"Where do we go now?" asked Rinoa, her dark brown eyes focused on Squall's face.

The brunet SeeD unsheathed his gunblade and looked towards the western part of Garden, his eyes narrowing as he detected a Faculty member and a small group of cadets gathered just at the entrance of the Infirmary hallway. "We'll see doctor Kadowaki, she may know where Cid is."

"Why don't we just go to his office?" asked Irvine suddenly.

Squall glared at the cowboy and shook his head. "Don't you think none of the students would be fighting if they knew Cid is in his office? NORG's faction could have easily disposed of him if that were the case."

The sharpshooter shrugged "Well, it was just a suggestion."

_Damn! How does she manage to do this without looking suspicious? _

_Guess I'll have to stick to plan B and play along..._

ooo ooo

"The Sorceress is going to launch missiles to Trabia and Balamb Gardens in order to destroy the SeeDs." said Rosie as she looked at the Galbadian map Irvine had produced from the car's rear compartment. Her index finger pointed at a lone building at the lower left part of the paper "This is the Missile Base, we need to infiltrate it and stop the launching at any cost."

"Just the two of us?" asked Irvine raising an eyebrow. "That sounds like suicide to me, darlin'."

"No, we're going to get our friends out first. We need Selphie's technical knowledge, if there's someway to hack the missile control system, I'm sure she´ll find it. But we have to do it fast, the launching to Trabia Garden is going to be soon. We'll get inside the Prison and go to the 12th floor where Squall is being held..." Rosie stopped to regain her breath and Irvine interrupted her.

"That's all? What about the others?" asked the cowboy frowning.

"Don't worry, by this time I'm sure they already have their weapons back. The escapee alarm will trigger and the anti-magic field will be cancelled. With their magic and junctions back on, the Galbadian soldiers are no threat for them." Rosie smiled and continued "Anyway, after we get out, we'll divide in two teams: Squall, most likely Rinoa and you will go to Balamb Garden to warn them about the missiles, while the rest of us head to the Base to try and stop the launch."

"I wanna go with Selphie..." said Irvine, but Rosie cut him off.

"... And I want to go with Squall, but Trabia and Balamb come first." replied the raven-haired shaking her head and blushing slightly. "Irvy, I need to go with Selphie's team, I know what will happen and I have to make sure it happens faster if we want to save both Gardens. And in case we fail... that's why I need you to go with Squall..." Rosie suppressed the tears forming in her eyes as she continued "After you leave the prison, go to this – her finger pointed at the desert train facility – station and steal a locomotive. Once you arrive at Balamb Garden, go to the third level, to Cid´s office. He'll be there... but if you don't want to place unwanted attention in yourself, look for Xu and she'll guide you to the Headmaster... The Garden will be a chaos, students would be fighting among themselves so be careful and help them if you can. Especially the ones in the Training Center, they are just junior classmen..." Rosie shook her head again, trying to focus her thoughts and words in the main events, trying to explain them as fast and accurate as she could "Anyway, Cid will give you a key, use it on the elevator to access the MD Level. From there, you'll just have to head down, but you must be careful, there are some monsters lurking around. You'll find a control panel in the very bottom of the facility. I don't know how to activate it, but Squall will manage, so let him handle it. Every time it's necessary to press something on the panel, just let Squall do it and you'll be fine." the raven-haired stopped to breathe and asked "You have any questions?"

Irvine shook his head slightly, his expression was a mixture between amusement and surprise. "No, everything's crystal clear." He replied sarcastically.

Rosie smiled as she checked Reaper's barrel. "Remember, just play along and make a few suggestions, kay?" She turned to look at the cowboy and nodded "Well, let's get this show on the road!"

Irvine grabbed his Valiant and placed it inside his brown trench coat, his pockets full of AP and explosive ammo. "As you say, doll."

ooo ooo

"Looks like Cid has some decent pawns." said mockingly the Faculty member as he glanced at the two SeeDs guarding the Infirmary's hallway. Sweat ran down their foreheads as they reassumed their ready stance, 5 cadets laid unconscious next to them as well as the corpses of a couple of gigantic caterpillars.

The Faculty nodded towards the SeeDs and motioned to the 6 cadets behind him to attack. However, half of the students fell to the floor before they could even move. The Faculty turned around and stepped back as he glanced at the newly arrived SeeDs, who had cast Sleep spells on the cadets. "Seize them!" yelled the man in panic before a thunder spell struck him, rendering him unconscious. The other cadets surrendered and dropped their weapons.

"Hey, Squall!." said one of the SeeDs approaching. He glanced behind Rinoa and Irvine and asked "Where is Rosie? Thought she was with you."

"You know her?" asked the brunet frowning.

"Of course! I'm Nida." When it was obvious Squall had no idea who he was, the dark haired SeeD continued "I was in her team during the SeeD Field Exam and I graduated with you. I can't believe you forgot!"

"Oh, yeah..." muttered Squall, finally remembering the guy among the group during the celebration at Cid's office.

"Geez!" said Nida shrugging while Rinoa and Irvine chuckled slightly at the situation.

The Infirmary's door opened, doctor Kadowaki's frame walked into the hallway. "Nida, Dante, help me get the wounded inside." muttered the woman shaking her head as she looked at the injured cadets lying on the floor.

The dark haired SeeD nodded and lifted one of the cadets. "Why are you helping me? I'm with the Garden Master." asked the injured teenager looking at the SeeD carrying him.

"Stop being ridiculous! Enough of that faction nonsense!" said angrily Kadowaki "I don't care on which side you're on. We need you to get inside so we can patch those wounds." The doctor's stare went up, her frown softening as she glanced at Squall's group. "Welcome back. Why don't you give us a hand?"

Squall and Irvine nodded, both SeeDs helping to carry the injured and still unconscious cadets inside the infirmary.

"Doctor. Do you know where the Headmaster is?" asked the SeeD leader as he dropped the last cadet on a nearby mattress.

"No. Why do you need him, anyway?" asked absently Kadowaki as she placed a bandage around a cadet's upper arm.

"Galbadian missiles are coming this way!" said Rinoa "We need to evacuate Garden right away."

"What?!" The doctor and SeeDs asked shocked. Nida turned to look at Squall, who nodded back. The dark haired SeeD muttered "Xu might know, she's the one in charge of the defense plan, but I haven't seen her around."

Irvine's eyes widened at the mention of the SeeD's name.

_So there IS a Xu... _

_Damn! Then does that mean there are junior classmen in danger inside the Training Center?!_

"We should go find her, don't you think?" said the cowboy as calmly as he could.

"Maybe Joan knows where she is." said Dante "You'll find her inside the Training Center."

Squall nodded and turned to Kadowaki "You should evacuate too, doctor."

The older woman shook her head. "I'm the only doctor in this facility. I'm definitely staying."

"We'll stay too." said Nida looking towards Dante, who nodded in reassurance. The dark haired SeeD continued "We'll help you with the evacuation."

The brunet SeeD nodded and motioned their comrades to follow, noticing Irvine's Valiant tightly gripped in his right hand.

ooo ooo

"There she is!"

"There are some junior classmen with her!"

"Don't let them escape!"

Joan ran as fast as she could through the safety zone, ushering almost two dozens of children ahead of her. She stopped as they reached the electric fence, the female SeeD knew there was no way they could outrun the monsters lurking inside the Training Center in order to make it safely to the Secret Area... and the footsteps behind them came even closer.

They were trapped.

"I'm sorry." She muttered at the whimpering little cadets before turning around and unsheathing her twin daggers. The SeeD moved in front of the scared children, ready to fight the Faculty and his goons. She had swore to protect them with her life if needed be and seemed now she'd have to make that promise effective.

Seven cadets closed on them, grinning at the SeeD´s fierce stare. Their grins grew widder when a 10-year-old child stepped near Joan and adopted a ready stance as well.

"Ian, go back." ordered the female SeeD, her gaze never leaving the cadets in front of her, watching their every move.

"I'm gonna fight too!" replied the child valiantly, his stance not changing a bit.

"Seize them!" ordered the Faculty moving backwards as the cadets stepped closer. One of them chuckling at the kid's serious demeanor.

"This will be interesting." said the cadet before the child leaped towards him and delivered a very strong – given his size and age – kick to the teen's groin. The cadet howled in pain and dropped to his knees as the kid returned to his position beside the female SeeD and grinned.

"I'm not training everyday for nothing!" said the child proudly. "C'mon!"

"Why you little...!" exclaimed the injured cadet as he quickly raised to his feet, bringing his saber-like sword up...

... and colliding with the hard edge of Revolver.

A gunshot was heard and the cadet's saber flew a few meters away. Squall stood up and shouldered his gunblade while Irvine stepped closer to him, Valiant pointing at the cadets´ heads. Rinoa was already checking on the children, healing the slight injures they had suffered during the whole ordeal.

"You'll have to get past me first if you want them." said Squall, his icy stare wandering from one cadet to another.

"Same here." added Irvine, cocking his weapon.

The cadets knew better than to face one of the deadliest SeeDs in combat and opted to flee.

"Where are you going?! Seize the SeeDs!!" yelled angrily the Faculty at the retreating faction. He turned to look at the remaining teens and said "This hasn't finished!" opening a small lid beside the security gate, the Faculty blew a strange-looking whistle before slamming the red button inside the tiny panel.

"I think the whistle's broken, I didn't hear anything." said Irvine raising an eyebrow.

"It's like a dog whistle. The sound frequency is too low, so humans can't hear it." replied Rinoa standing near the cowboy. A tremendous roar was heard, the sound booming through the entire place. "I don't think he's summoning a dog, though." Added nervously the raven-haired girl.

"T-Rexaur!" yelled Joan as she motioned the children to take cover on the other side of the security area. The prehistoric beast made its appearance between the terrified screams of the kids, its footsteps making the ground tremble.

Squall's eyes widened slightly as he looked at the monster's head. A deep scar ran from the top of its head to its muzzle, its right eye was closed thanks to the injury.

It was the T-Rexaur he had slashed in order to save Selphie and Rosie.

The monster glanced around, attracted by the kids´ screaming and roared again. A sound at its right made the giant lizard's head turn just in time to receive a powerful blow in its jaw, sending the T-Rexaur flying a couple of feet away. Minotaur and Sacred closed in as the monster trashed in the floor, trying desperately to get to its feet again. The air around it chilled as the beautiful Ice Goddess emerged from her icicle and trapped the monster under a thick ice layer.

The Brothers lifted the giant lizard and threw it inside the containment section of the Training Center. Shiva's blue body gleamed with power as she gathered her energy and formed an icy barrier before Squall knocked out the Faculty member and connected the defense circuit again. The electricity coursed through Shiva's barrier, increasing its power, effectively trapping the monster inside and preventing others from getting outside the facility.

The Guardians smiled at the children's cheers – a very faint purple blush gracing the Ice Goddess's cheeks – and returned to the minds of their masters.

"Squall, thank Hyne you came!" said Joan smiling.

The brunet SeeD dismissed her thanks with a casual wave of his hand and asked "Where's Xu? I need to see Cid right away."

"Xu? She's coordinating our defense on the second floor." replied the female SeeD

"Get these kids somewhere safe." ordered Squall before turning around and quickly exiting the Training Center, Rinoa and Irvine hot on his heels.

The first thing Squall noticed as they entered the main lobby was the fight was mostly over, seemed Fujin, Raijin, Nida and Dante had made their job quite efficiently. A male voice at his right made him turn around to find Rosie's team comrade running towards them.

"How's the evacuation doing?" asked Irvine as Nida came closer.

The dark haired SeeD shook his head "The students refuse to leave..."

"What? But there are missiles coming this way!" exclaimed Rinoa anxiously.

"I know and they do too. But this is their home..." replied Nida "There's nothing else for them elsewhere and they rather stay here and die..."

"No one's going to die." interrupted Squall coldly before turning around and bolting towards the elevator.

_Not if I can help it._

ooo ooo

A slight _ping_ was heard before the doors opened.

Squall kicked the frozen monster out, its ball-like form rolling through the corridor a couple of meters before finally stopping. How had a damn Bomb gotten into the lift was beyond him, fortunately the SeeD's reflexes were quick and he was able to cast the freezing spell before the monster had the opportunity to use its elemental magic.

"Squall!" Xu´s voice came from the other side of the corridor, where several SeeDs were pointing at them with their weapons. "Whose side are you on?" asked the Headmaster's second in command glaring at the new comers, a couple of silver sais in her hands.

The brunet SeeD shook his head slightly "Neither. We need to see Cid right away."

Xu turned her sais around, the sharp tips securely turned down as she folded her arms and stepped closer to them "I'm listening."

Squall's frown deepened. "Galbadian missiles are coming this way. I _need_ to report to Cid immediately."

Xu´s eyes widened, the SeeDs behind her gasped in horror and whispered nervously between them. "C'mon, I'll take you to him." She said as she approached Squall's team and entered the elevator. Her finger pressed the 3rd floor button and the lift hummed as it ascended.

"He's in his office?" asked Squall surprised.

"Yeah. He's been there all along. We made it look like he's been hiding in different areas of Garden and have cut off the communication inside the facility, that way we thinned the Garden Master numbers and held our ground efficiently." explained Xu folding her arms as she looked at the lift's crystal top.

"See? I told ya!" muttered Irvine grinning as Squall glanced his way. "You should give me more credit!"

The brunet SeeD remained silent as the doors opened and they stepped out. Xu knocked the door 3 times before it opened, revealing the Headmaster sitting at his desk, looking down at his laptop. As the teenagers entered, Cid's gaze widened and he stood up "Squall? Wha... what are you doing here? And where's the rest of your team?"

The SeeD leader saluted his superior before replying "Sir, I don't have time to give you a full report. Galbadia is retaliating on Garden for the attack on the Sorceress."

"I know, they already have seized control of Galbadia Garden." replied Cid calmly "Headmaster Martine was able to get a message through the Garden Network. Edea will most likely do the same here."

"No, sir. Galbadian missiles are coming this way! That's why the rest of my team is not here..." said Squall frowning "They went to the Missile Base to try and stop the launching."

"What?!" Cid fell on his chair, his eyes settled on the huge window behind his desk. "The intercom is down and we can't announce the evacuation..."

"Fujin, Raijin, Nida and Dante are already on that, sir."

"Good. I want you to help them..." said the Headmaster as he opened a drawer on his desk "..and then evacuate."

"Sir?" the brunet SeeD raised an eyebrow at his superior request.

"You have a problem with that order, Squall?" asked Cid as he stood up, his hand grabbing a set of keys.

_Hell yeah! I want to do something more than just announcing the evacuation. And I know you're up to something..._

"Sir, what are you going to do?"

"This place is my home. And I'm planning on staying here and see this to the very end." replied the Headmaster smiling faintly.

"No...! You can't! Just come with us, please... You can always rebuild this place!" said Rinoa stepping closer to the older man.

"Rest assured, lady." said Cid shaking his head "I'm going to try something. There is still a way we could save Garden... you see, this building used to be a shelter before becoming what it is today."

"Sir, I'd like to handle whatever it is that you're planning." said Squall as he looked at the older man's tired frame.

"And why is that?" asked Cid locking his maple eyes with the brunet's stormy blue ones.

_Because you might screw up..._

... _Because they are risking their lives inside the Missile Base..._

_... Because I want to find out your plan..._

_... Because the students refuse to leave..._

_...Because this is my home too..._

_... I have too many reasons._

"My feelings have nothing to do with it, sir." replied Squall coldly.

Cid chuckled slightly before saying "Quistis was right. You do have a hard time expressing your feelings."

The SeeD leader frowned

_Why bother? _

_And what is this... am I being judged?_ Instead of speaking his mind, Squall just said "Please, sir. Tell me your plan."

Cid sighed and said "Fine" He threw Squall the keyset he was holding and continued "The platinum key will give you access to the MD Level, use it on the lock on the elevator's panel. Rumor has it there is some kind of control in the deepest bowels of the shelter... but honestly, I don't have idea of what it does. However, that's our best bet."

Squall's expression grew darker.

_Sounds pretty farfetched... but guess it's better than doing nothing. _

The SeeD saluted his superior and said "I understand. We'll find the control system and check it out." He turned to look at Rinoa and said "You better stay here with the Headmaster. Who knows what we'll find in there."

The raven-haired was about to protest, but figured it wasn't the best time to be arguing. She nodded reluctantly and said "Good luck! ... and be careful."

"I'll go with you." said Xu stepping closer to Squall. "You may need the assistance of another SeeD, and you know what they say... the more, the merrier." the ranking SeeD smiled as the last word left her lips.

The brunet nodded and turned to look at the cowboy, who had been exceptionally quiet during the whole event, his mind seemed to be drifting elsewhere. Irvine noticed his gaze and nodded, shouldering Valiant and saying "Whenever you say."

ooo ooo

"I don't think that's the only reason why you told me this first, is it?" asked Irvine, his gaze turning from the closing vehicle's door to the raven-haired girl standing at his right.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Rosie cocked her head to the side at the cowboy's confusing query.

"Well, you know. The fact that I remember the orphanage and the others don´t... You could have told Selphie, for what I've seen you guys seem to be very close."

Rosie's gaze turned down to the copper floor. "I... I think I'm scared." Muttered the raven-haired softly. "Scared of what their reaction would be. That's why I told you first, because you are hiding something from them too."

_And somehow, I knew you would understand... _

Her dark brown eyes locked with his amused blue ones. "Your memories about the orphanage... why haven't you told them?"

Irvine shrugged "Guess I'm just waitin' for the right time."

Rosie smiled knowingly and nodded.

Recalling something she had said previously, the cowboy smirked and asked "You scared of their reaction... or _**his**_ reaction?"

"Huh?" the raven-haired's eyes widened slightly and she avoided his stare, settling hers on the crystal ceiling. "Who are you talking about?"

Irvine chuckled "Yeah, sure. Now feign you don't know who I'm referring to!"

Rosie shook her head and turned around as she said "I think you already know the answer to that." without another word, the raven-haired started walking towards the warden in the far corner of the room, Irvine close to her, a smile on his face as he prepared Valiant for the upcoming show.

ooo ooo

The man ran uphill, his tired limbs carrying him as fast as they could, though the hellish temperature did nothing to aid him. Finally, he spotted the yellow car where his superior was waiting, surely surrounded by the fresh, slight breeze the air conditioner system provided.

"Lieutenant! We found the Iron Clad!" Yelled the soldier as he approached the military galbadian vehicle parked near the burnt remnants of the Missile Base.

"You sure, private?" asked the officer stepping out of the car.

"Yes, sir! What's more, it seems it's almost intact... I mean, given the intensity of the explosion..." replied the trooper saluting his superior.

Both men returned to the place where the MRV was, a large crater surrounded the gargantuan weapon while lots of metallic pieces – some from the Base's structure and others belonging to the large missiles inside the building – laid near and even on top of it. A group of soldiers were already working on the device, either lifting the heavy debris or checking out BGH251F2-1's structure.

"Does it still work?" asked the officer to one of the tech squad members.

The soldier was inspecting a small device connected to the Iron Clad's external electrical circuit. "Seems the system is still operational, however we can't get inside to verify it. The door is jammed, the blast's power might have done it."

"What shall we do, Lieutenant?" asked the first trooper.

The galbadian officer took a minute to consider their options and finally said "We'll take it back to our new base, that way the tech squad will have more time preparing it for the upcoming trip to FH. I'm sure the Sorceress will be pleased this MRV is still functional despite the damage done to this facility."

The soldiers saluted their superior and started the preparations necessary to carry the heavy Iron Clad back to Galbadia Garden.

Several miles east of there, a couple of deep blue Galbadian missiles flew over one of the peaceful towns surrounding the city of Timber. The loud and brief humming sound they made as they crossed the sky was the only evidence they left behind, as the astonished citizens drew their eyes to the heavens but detected nothing more than the fluffy, white clouds.

The missiles´ internal mechanism checked their coordinates and estimated the arrival time...

... in only 2 hours Balamb Garden would be history.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author's note: _

_Sorry for the lateness of the chapter, but you already know the amount of work I have... Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter :D_

_Quote: How had a damn bomb gotten into the lift was beyond him..._

_... but we all know it was ADarkKnight´s request :D along with the T-Rexaur (sorry it wasn't at the entrance, but it appeared in the chapter nonetheless). The idea of making it the same monster Squall had battled to save Selphie and Rosie was Revir's (thanks, girl!), so the credit goes to both of them._

_BTW, the name Dante is from Devil May Cry... he's a babe, but Squall is much better :D As I told ADarkKnight once, I'm a girl... sue me._

_Thanks to all the reviewers and loyal readers for your support, even though I don't update as soon as I'd like to. _

_Anyway, gotta go..._

_Work again :S_

_Lots of hugs and kisses to all of you!_

_Celestial "Meanie" Rage... right, Revir? :D_


	41. Chapter 41 We can fly!

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 41: We can fly!!**

By CelestialRage

Squall retrieved the key from the elevator's control panel, as the lift started the trip to the deepest part of Balamb Garden. The humming sound of the device was the only sound inside the confined space, the 3 SeeDs too immersed within their own thoughts.

As they left the first floor, Squall tensed. The lift's crystal walls that once allowed them the view of the main hall's beautiful fountains, now only presented them a thick metallic wall. Xu shifted uncomfortably, the dark haired SeeD's stare fixed on the equally pristine ceiling and the light coming from the first floor's entrance, which now seemed to be miles away from them.

Suddenly, the elevator came to a halt, the jolt almost making the SeeDs loose their footing. A second later, the lights flickered and went out, only to be replaced by the blue hue of the emergency lanterns.

"It stopped..." muttered Xu. The female SeeD immediately stepped near the control panel, pressing the emergency button. "It's not working... power must be out!"

"Hey, calm down." said Irvine placing a hand gently on Xu's right shoulder "It's just an elevator, there's always a way out."

"Seems there's an access panel here." muttered Squall crouching down and grabbing a metallic handle. The SeeD pulled slightly, the lid finally opening and revealing the lift's deep shaft, which extended so far below that its bottom was lost within the shadows. Squall peeked through the hole and spotted the maintenance ladder just in front of them. "Follow me." said the brunet SeeD before sliding through the opening and grabbing the ladder.

Xu and Irvine complied, the cowboy tipping his hat as he motioned the female SeeD to go first. The SeeDs' steps on the rusty metallic ladder echoed loudly through the shaft as they descended.

"There's a catwalk here." said Squall before he dropped into the tunnel. The brunet SeeD´s eyes narrowing as he tried to find a light switch through the thick darkness. Suddenly, the bulb above his head flickered, the power returning again.

A loud metallic sound caught his attention and he turned around just in time to see as Xu stepped into the narrow corridor, Irvine's frame dropping inside a second later followed immediately by the fast descending elevator.

"Are you alright?" asked Xu to the slightly shaken cowboy. "That was a close one."

"I'm cool." He said smiling, dismissing the near-fatal incident with a wave of his hand.

_But I'm going to kill Rosie for not warning me about this!!_

A low grunt made both SeeDs turn to look at Squall, who was slowly pulling open a heavy-looking trapdoor, his junction-enhanced strength making the rusted edges move, a task that without the aid of the powerful Guardians would have been impossible. The brunet SeeD dropped to the chamber below, his boots landing on a liquid surface as a strong odor filled his nostrils.

"An oil stratum..." muttered Squall, his blue stare fixed on the black liquid around his ankles, the splashing sound Xu and Irvine made as they reached the tunnel echoing through the walls.

_Wonder if Cid actually knows that Garden is sitting on a gold mine..._

"We better be careful if we use Fire magic down here. We don't want to blow up Garden accidentally, right?" said Xu smiling as she folded her arms.

"No, that's what Galbadian missiles are for." replied Irvine smirking as the three SeeDs started their way through the tunnel.

They reached another vertical shaft, the old ladder extending several meters below their position. The teenagers climbed down carefully as the rusty ladder seemed about to collapse at any minute. As Squall's feet finally touched the next room's floor, he detected another stairway, however there was a very thick metallic layer covering the entrance. Frowning, the brunet SeeD scanned the area, finding a door in the furthest right corner which had almost passed inadvertently thanks to the shadows surrounding its position.

Squall kicked the door open, the unused hinges protesting loudly as they slowly allowed the metallic plaque to move, granting the SeeDs access to the interior. Squall's eyes narrowed as he inspected the small room. There was a dark control panel and a large red valve near it. The brunet SeeD approached, his gloved hand undusting the panel's surface, finding several buttons and levers, but none seemed operational. His blue gaze fixed on the valve, finding a small label just at the center of it. The writing was alien to him, however he distinguished the number 2 between the strange signs.

_Must be the access to the second level..._

His hands grabbed the wheel and pulled. However, the valve stayed just where it was, its rusty edge refusing to move an inch despite the SeeD's enhanced strength. Frowning, Squall tried again, but to no avail.

"Need a hand, pal?" asked Irvine as he approached the brunet. The cowboy adjusted his fingerless gloves and hat before grabbing the wheel.

"On three." instructed Squall as he placed his hands opposite to the sharpshooter's. "One... two... THREE!"

Both men pulled hard, a light squeaky sound indicating the SeeDs the rusty valve was finally ceding. Suddenly, the floor started shaking, Xu turned around and discovered the layer covering the staircase entrance was receding inside the now visible shaft's walls. After half a minute, the shudder stopped as the threshold was finally opened. Xu lead them through a narrow catwalk to the new stairway, which extended more than a hundred feet below.

When they finally reached the bottom, the SeeDs found themselves in a wide metallic circular chamber. A large pillar stood just in the center of it and several tubular-like windows surrounded the chamber's vertical middle area.

The three youngsters walked down the metallic corridor they were standing towards the center area, their footsteps echoing loudly through the walls. A sudden high-pitched shriek made the SeeDs' hands drop to their weapons as their gazes wandered through the large room trying to find the source.

A second later, more shrieks joined the first one, the sound painfully loud as the metallic walls served as an amplifier. The ceiling started moving, or at least, that was what it appeared to do as 30 or more Buels extended their dark wings and dropped towards the SeeDs.

Valiant's gunshots were heard, ending several monsters' attacks along with their lives. Xu´s sais gleamed in the dim-lighted room as the female SeeD moved around, her silver weapons flashing a second before taking down another over-sized bat-like monster. Squall parried a Fire spell with his gunblade, the brunet man whirling around and bringing Revolver up, slashing his attacker.

Five minutes later, the fight was over. The chamber's floor was covered in crimson and black as the numerous monsters´ corpses covered it completely, the raw scent of death filling the atmosphere heavily. Squall sheathed his gunblade and started walking around, trying to find a path out of the circular chamber. His azure eyes narrowed as he came across a ladder on the other side of the pillar, which went up pass a narrow catwalk leading to what appeared to be a control room.

"Another ladder... what a surprise." muttered Irvine sarcastically as he finished reloading Valiant.

"I don't think this will support our weight, though." said Xu inspecting the rusty ladder. "I'll go take a look."

"No. I'll go check it out." replied Squall as he grabbed the stair's edge.

The female SeeD smirked and folded her arms over her chest. "C'mon, Squall. I'm lighter than you or Mr. Cowboy here are."

"Hey! The guy's just trying to be courteous." replied Irvine smiling as said guy sent him a vicious glare, gaining a giggle from the normally collected Xu.

"Okay, then go ahead, Squall." said the second in command as she tried to control her laughter.

The brunet shook his head slightly and began climbing the ladder, his hands grabbing the rusty edges as he carefully ascended. Squall had almost reached the top of the ladder when a squeaky sound, along with the sudden movement of the object between his hands, made his heart skip a beat. The rusty top of the ladder finally ceded at the SeeD's weight – which although not excessive – was definitely more than the decades-old stair could stand.

Squall turned his head and tightened his grip as the ladder left the pillar, falling down to the other side of the round chamber. In two heartbeats, the brunet SeeD had already calculated the stair's most probable trajectory, his expression growing darker as he prepared to release the ladder's edge before it collapsed against the metallic wall. A second before the loud metallic _clang_ was heard, Squall had already let go of the stair, his booted feet crushing the control room's central windowpane, its sharp shards flying in all directions.

The SeeD landed flawlessly, though not unscathed as several small crystal pieces had managed to pierce his skin. Squall paid them no heed, casting a quick Cura on himself as he moved to inspect the large and strange-looking panel in front of him. His frown deepened when he looked around at the controls, clueless at what he should do.

_What the hell! I'll just push anything..._

Squall tapped a few buttons until one of them made the small left-most screen turn on, displaying the image of the round chamber they were in, the huge pillar in the middle was unmistakable. His gaze settled on a weird circular control just below the screen. A small handle was attached to it and Squall figured that maybe if he turned it either way the access would be finally revealed.

The entire place seemed to shudder as half of the round floor rotated away, receding to several slits on the room's walls and giving the SeeD a perfect view of the chamber below. Squall leaned nearer the broken window and gazed at the lower level. There seemed to be a large oil deposit in it as well as a wide catwalk that went right over it connecting the pillar with whatever laid on the other side.

Quickly scanning the area, Squall decided the only means to go down to where his comrades were was the same rusty ladder that had brought him here in the first place. Fortunately for him, the stair had just landed a couple of feet above of his position, so he could easily grab the edge without even needing to jump. Squall climbed on top of the ladder and walked quickly and carefully downstairs, the squeaky sound his improvised catwalk did as he moved through it urging him to move faster.

The least he needed right now was to fall 30 feet and land inside the oil deposit.

"You ok?" Xu´s concerned voice reached him as he approached.

Squall dismissed the event with a casual wave of his hand as he dropped from the ladder to the platform his comrades were standing in.

"Gee whiz, that sure was close, uh?" asked Irvine, looking from the far top of the ladder to the brunet SeeD's face.

"Nothing new." replied Squall shrugging as he moved towards the recently revealed access "C'mon, let's go. We still have work to do."

ooo ooo

"They're taking too long..." muttered Rinoa nervously as she wandered around Cid's office.

The Headmaster sighed and turned from his spot near the furthest windowpane, his stare fixed on the raven-haired girl. "Don't worry, dear. They're SeeDs."

"But still! Sir, how can you be so calm?" asked the young woman.

To her surprise, Cid smiled and answered calmly "Because SeeDs are trained to succeed."

The raven-haired girl was shocked by the old man's statement. It didn't matter how well trained SeeDs were, she had witnessed them loose a battle against the Sorceress... saw _him_ bleed and almost die on the cold platform.

Rinoa´s gaze turned from the Headmaster's still smiling face to the distant Balamb hills. The thought that flashed through her mind caught her completely offguard as she realized exactly what she had been praying for all this time.

_Squall..._

_... please Hyne, let him be safe..._

ooo ooo

His feet finally touched the ground. Squall turned and looked around, locating the large catwalk he'd seen from the control room upstairs. On the other side of it was a huge metal doorway blocking the access to the next area. His eyes settled on a nearby lever, the SeeD frowning slightly as it seemed the only means to activate the entrance.

To their great relief, the heavy door started moving as Squall flipped the lever, the SeeDs sighing in exhaustion as another stairway was revealed.

"This is endless!" complained Xu as they started their way towards the catwalk. "Whoever designed this place shall never work again."

The scent of oil got stronger as they neared the walkway. Irvine's eyes scanned the place, the sharpshooter quite aware of Rosie's warning. She'd said there would be monsters lurking around and minus the flock of Buels, the SeeDs had not encountered anything else.

Irvine´s attention suddenly shifted from his surroundings to the dark silhouette in front of him. Squall had come to a halt, his right hand grabbing Revolver's handle as his gaze focused on the oil deposit. The sharpshooter's eyes narrowed as he noticed a slight movement on the dark liquid's surface, as though something was moving underneath it.

Suddenly, the oil on both sides of the walkway erupted as two huge white creatures emerged from it, trapping the SeeDs in the middle.

The teenagers were already in motion, Irvine casting a Thunder spell on the nearest monster as he doubted he should use Valiant in this battle given the amount of oil around them. Xu and Squall charged, the female SeeD dashing quickly towards the still stunned monster before swiftly jumping above it, landing just behind its fleshy body. Her sais cut as deep as they could go as Xu moved graciously around the monster, her attack gaining a painful shriek from the creature. The monster whirled, its long hose-like mouth spitting a large amount of oil towards the female SeeD's face. Xu yelled in pain as the dark substance entered her eyes, blinding her completely.

Revolver slashed the other monster's side, melting away its soft-looking skin as Squall focused a Fire spell on the weapon's blade, that way he could deal more damage without resorting to the gunblade's bullets. The monster's tail slammed the brunet SeeD, the sheer force of the attack making him lose his balance and almost fall to the oil deposit below. Squall grabbed the platform's edge, his frown deepening as he heard Irvine cast an Esuna on Xu who was finishing her Cure spell.

The brunet SeeD hoisted himself to the walkway again, his grip on Revolver tightening as he focused the hot magical energy on the blade again. If those bastards were full of oil, then they could use that on their favor.

Squall bolted towards the monster he had been battling before, the creature emitting a low guttural growl as the SeeD approached. Its upper body went slightly up as it directed its hose-like mouth towards the incoming teenager. Squall had been expecting this move and just as the creature spit its oily attack, the SeeD brought Revolver up, the tip of the gunblade touching the dark substance before his mind released its grip on the Fire spell surrounding his weapon's blade.

A huge flame formed and traveled all the way towards the monster's mouth, the creature shrieking painfully as the fire magic enveloped its insides, burning everything in its path.

As the creature trashed wildly in agony, Irvine manipulated a Blizzara, forming a thick wall on both sides of the walkway, preventing either monster from falling into the oil deposit as Xu was about to apply Squall's technique.

The female SeeD dashed again towards the remaining monster, her agile body whirling in time to avoid the creature's powerful tail. She focused a Fire spell on the tip of her sais, the slender blades slashing mercilessly the monster's white soft skin and charring it at contact. The monster lunged for Xu, its large mouth suddenly widening and displaying a couple of sharp teeth as it made for the girl's throat.

Her right sai came up, piercing the hose-like flesh before she jumped, forcing the monster's upper body to fold painfully backwards and leaving its soft abdomen exposed to Irvine´s shotgun. The sharpshooter pulled Valiant's trigger, the massive-caliber bullet leaving a wide hole in the creature's body. Oil started pouring from the injure before Xu released the Fire spell enveloping her sais and burned the monster to a crisp.

"Everyone ok?" asked Squall as Irvine casted a quick water spell on the creatures´ remains, just in case.

"We're fine." replied Xu wiping some oil from her forehead and looking at the dark stains on her uniform "But I seriously need a bath."

ooo ooo

The people in Balamb had never heard anything similar before.

The usual singing of seagulls was suddenly interrupted as a loud humming echoed through the sky. The townspeople raised their heads towards the heavens, their eyes narrowing – and some arms rising to protect them of the spring's sun – as they tried to distinguish the sound's source.

"Look, mommy! What is that?" asked a little girl as she pointed to a pair of shiny slender objects crossing the sky.

"I don't know, darling." replied her mother.

_But I don't like how they look._

ooo ooo

"So this is it." muttered Irvine as he glanced at the huge strange-looking pillar looming in front of them. There was a large control panel standing before them, dozens of buttons, levers and other gizmos were visible.

"What do we do now?" asked Xu looking at the device.

"Well, we can't stare at it all day" replied the sharpshooter shrugging. "Give it a try, Squall."

The brunet SeeD frowned

_How am I supposed to know what to do?_

_Not even Cid has a clue._

But he had to admit the cowboy had a point. They couldn't just stare at the damn thing all day.

Squall approached the panel and started hitting a few buttons here and there, the labels above them giving him no further clue as they were written in the same foreign language he had seen before.

Half a minute passed and the machine didn't respond. Squall growled, his frustration growing as he continued tapping more buttons without result.

"Do you know what you're doing?" asked Xu

"No!" the brunet SeeD snapped angrily as he punched the panel's surface "What else can I do?!"

Suddenly, the machine came to life – whether it was thanks to the SeeD's punch or because he casually tapped the right button as he slammed the panel was still unknown – a rumble was heard and the floor beneath them shuddered slightly as electricity coursed through the odd-looking pillar.

The spheres forming the large structure started to rotate faster, the SeeDs finally understanding their function. They were turbines... but of what?

Their answer came a second later as the floor started to ascend quickly

ooo ooo

"What is that noise?" asked Rinoa moving to the center of the Headmaster's office.

Cid turned around and listened intently to the muffled humming sound as it seemed to be approaching fast.

Suddenly, the floor trembled and started glowing.

The next few seconds were so confusing, neither Cid nor Rinoa could give an exact explanation of what happened. All they knew was they were standing on a rising platform along with Squall, Xu and Irvine.

"What the...?" Squall muttered as he stared in awe at the approaching golden ring on top of Balamb Garden. The platform came to a halt suddenly, its surface around 10 feet above Cid office's floor.

A second later, the golden ring started to rotate faster as a faint glow grew in its interior, the bright light blinding the SeeDs for a second as it seemed to descend. Squall felt himself "shift", the strange sensation reminding him of Diablos' spell as it seemed his body became compressed by some unknown force.

The glowing ring descended even further, the SeeDs rushing to the windows in order to see what was going on. The Garden seemed to become thinner as the bright halo made its way towards the bottom of the building. The entire place trembled as a very thick cloud of dust covered the Garden, the rotating ring finally settling below the giant blue structure.

A sudden beeping coming from the panel in front of them made their hearts skip a beat.

Squall's eyes widened as the dust settled enough so he could gaze at the fast approaching objects crossing the clear sky "Missiles incoming!!"

"No way!!" yelled Irvine as he grabbed the platform's railing, his knuckles turning white as he watched the Galbadian weapons approaching.

The floor beneath them shuddered again, the humming of the golden ring becoming louder as it started to rotate faster. The SeeDs lost their footing as the Garden made a sudden movement to the right, the dust rising again as the huge building started to glide through the green plains.

Squall's eyes were still settled on the missiles as they shot upward before quickly descending. The explosion's powerful rumble seemed to echo through Garden's entire structure, the resulting bright flash blinding them momentarily before another huge column of dust raised just in the place the SeeD Academy had stood mere seconds before.

"That was way too close!" said Irvine as he helped Rinoa get up.

"So this is the secret..." muttered Cid, undusting his pants.

"Unbelievable." said the still astonished Xu as she looked at the panel in front of them. A few lights had flickered on as well as some small round monitors. The displayed image showed Garden's external facilities like the Quad and Training Center had been compacted, the walkways had retreated into the building's structure, thus making the now mobile academy resemble more a battleship.

"This is amazing!" said Rinoa, her dark stare settled on a passing flock of birds. She turned to look at the still shocked Squall and smiled.

Her prayers had been listened...

"Uh-oh!" Irvine's voice made her jump out of her skin. "We're gonna crash into Balamb!"

"What?!" Xu turned around, her eyes widening as she watched the fast approaching small town. "Squall, do something!"

"Like what?!" asked the brunet SeeD angrily looking at the flashing panel.

"I don't know, you're the one who activated it in the first place!" replied the female SeeD anxiously.

Squall glanced from the panel in front of him to the fishing town. His eyes narrowed as he could see several people on the streets glancing their way, obviously astonished by the bulky flying academy quickly approaching.

"DAMN!" Squall cursed loudly as he started pushing every button in the panel, praying for the cursed thing to work. His blue eyes shifting from the buttons below him to the nearing small white houses.

Suddenly, the humming seemed to die down slightly before the entire Garden leaned a little to its left, the edge of the giant building barely avoiding to hit Balamb town by a couple of meters.

"Yes, we're turning!" said Xu smiling as she held from the platform's railing.

"Well done, Squall!" Rinoa said happily, her eyes settled on the frowning SeeD.

"Phew! That was close!" muttered Irvine before looking through the window at their new destination. "Damn! We're going to crash into the sea!"

"Everybody hold onto something!" ordered Squall as he clutched the panel's edge and braced himself for the collision.

The golden ring seemed to raise slightly, the entire Garden floating higher as it meet the water's surface, its massive weight causing huge waves which struck the tiny boats tied in Balamb's pier. The building shuddered wildly once more as it collided with the ocean before finally settling down, the ring's humming muffled by the liquid surrounding it. After the brief momentum, the academy's speed reduced and it floated slowly towards the warmer south waters.

Cid rose to his feet again and glanced out the window as he let out a relieved sigh. "Thank Hyne." He turned to look at the teenagers and said "Well done, everyone. I think the worst is behind us for the time being."

"What do we do now?" asked Squall looking at the vast ocean all around them. They didn't have a clue how to operate their recently found propulsion and he didn't want to push his luck further. Next time he pushed something on the damn panel he could end up sinking the entire academy.

"I think the best for now is drift along... until we figure out how to maneuver the Garden." replied the Headmaster, his answer lifting a huge weight off Squall's shoulders.

"I'll assemble a tech squad right away, sir." said Xu as she saluted her superior.

However, Cid shook his head and replied "Not yet, Xu. First of all, I want you to rest, the three of you need it." he smiled and said "Garden can drift for a while and it would give me time to consider what to do next."

The older man looked around and chuckled "So much for my office. Where am I going to change clothes now?"

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author's note: _

_Hi again!_

_This chapter is shorter (way shorter) than the previous, but I hope you like it too._

_Well, gotta go!_

_Lots of hugs to all of you and thanks for the great reviews :D_

_Celestial Rage _


	42. Chapter 42 Greed

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 42: Greed**

By CelestialRage

Squall's footsteps echoed through the dormitories as he made his way to his room. He had just helped to get rid of the remaining Training Center's monsters lurking around Garden, as they were a threat – a minor one, but still a threat – to the cadets, especially the smaller ones.

His tired right hand went to his pant's rear pocket and produced his SeeD keycard. Squall stopped just before his door and turned to his left, his azure eyes settling on the room opposite to his.

_They didn't stop the missiles..._

_... does that mean they're...?_

He frowned as he recalled the Galbadian attack. So far, he had been able to see only two missiles... and even if they were directly aimed to the SeeD Academy, Squall highly doubted they could have destroyed the building entirely. The damage would have been extensive, yes, but not to a point of disintegrating the facility or killing everyone inside.

_Then maybe, something happened to them and they couldn't prevent those two from being launched..._

The thought flashed through his mind at neckbreaking speed and he felt bile rising to his mouth. They were _his_ responsibility... Although Rosie had practically volunteered to go and Selphie had agreed with her plan, he had sent Quistis and Zell along without even asking their opinion.

He had most likely sent them to die...

"Squall? Are you alright?" a female voice behind him almost made the SeeD jump. He turned around and came face to face with Rinoa. Her raven hair painfully reminding him of the girl who slept in the room right across his.

"Yeah." He muttered before using his keycard on the reader.

"Do you know where the guest rooms are?" asked his client as she showed him a light blue keycard. "Cid gave me a room in that area and Xu explained me how to reach it, but I'm completely lost. This place is just so big!" She added smiling.

He sighed and returned his key to the interior of his dirty black pants. "I'll show you, c'mon."

_It'll be quicker than explaining you. Besides, the walk will make me good, I need to clear my mind..._

Rinoa smiled wider and followed the dark-cladded SeeD along the corridor.

ooo ooo

The next day was a haze as Squall spent most of the time in a well-deserved sleep.

The brunet SeeD stepped out of the shower, toweling off his unruly copper hair as he approached his drawer. His normal clothes were still wet – the stains from all the battles he had to endure refusing to clean easily – so he changed to a couple of black, baggy pants and a grey sweatshirt.

His azure eyes turned to the window just behind his bed. Squall sighed a little as he glanced at the clear deep ocean ahead. It was the third day Garden spent drifting along and the brunet SeeD had hoped they would have already spotted land by now, but it seemed the possibility was still far.

_We're in the middle of nowhere._

Squall frowned as he was confronted for the first time with boredom.

As a cadet he had spent his time attending classes, studying for the incoming SeeD tests and training. He almost had no spare time and whatever leisure moments he did have, he spent them either sleeping or in extra-training.

The brunet folded his arms and leaned his forehead against the cold window's glass considering what he should do next.

He still had to report to Cid, but the Headmaster had been too occupied with reestablishing order in Garden, not only between the so-called Master and Headmaster's factions but also among the civilian workers inside the facility. Thankfully, the number of injured was quite small, given the situation – not only of the fight between students, but also the weird episode with the Garden's new found flying ability and all the harsh maneuvers it did to avoid the missiles and Balamb town.

Cid had organized a few groups to take care of different activities around Garden. Squall had been among the ones who got rid of the monsters around the facility and they had done so just after the whole flying incident, leaving the SeeD with nothing else to do besides thinking...

His stomach grunted a little, reminding him he hadn't eaten anything since the prior day. The SeeD's mind flashed the image of Rosie smiling shyly as a deep blush covered her cheeks. Her words echoed inside his mind as though she was standing right beside him.

_Sorry, I haven't eaten anything since yesterday..._

_... Say, I have little time before Quistis shows up, so... uhm.. do you think you could guide me to the cafeteria, please? It would be faster that way._

Squall shook his head slightly, he couldn't believe that incident was only a week ago. It seemed a lifetime had already passed since that day. At that moment his only worry was to pass the SeeD field test... and now his burden had incremented not only in quantity but also in quality.

His comrades were missing.

A demented Sorceress was trying to destroy SeeD.

His rival had joined said Sorceress...

... along with the whole Galbadia army.

Garden was drifting aimlessly and it was likely for it to continue that way for Hyne knew how much time.

And the worst of all... he was trapped here unable to do anything but stare at his damn window!

The brunet growled in frustration. He hated having nothing to do, it always led him to thinking too much. And given the situation, his thoughts presented him always the worst possible outcomes.

His azure gaze turned to Revolver's case. Deciding to channel his anger in the monsters inside the Training Center, Squall opened the black, heavy case and retrieved his recently polished gunblade. He opened the barrel and placed the six rounds it was designed to hold before sheathing it at his side.

Squall closed the door to his room and spared one last glance to the door opposite of his before changing his mind and directing his steps towards the Cafeteria.

ooo ooo

"How're the repairs going?" asked Commander Okamoto as he came closer to one of the galbadian technicians working on the Iron Clad.

The soldier saluted his superior before glancing at the monitor in front of him and replying "We still can't open the rear door to check the controls, but Evans has just loaded the remote control program into the MRV's system."

"I see." muttered the Commander looking at the same screen. "Will it be ready to travel to FH?"

"Yes, sir. With that program we don't need anyone to pilot the damn thing." replied the technician as he tapped a few buttons, causing the Iron Clad's machineguns to rotate as though they were about to attack. "See? I can control every function with this."

Okamoto nodded. "Good. I'll report this to Edea, I'm sure she'll like to know we can count with the Iron Clad in our upcoming trip." As he turned, the Commander swore he could see a face behind the MRV's visor. However, as he blinked the image disappeared.

_Must be my imagination..._

Okamoto shook his head slightly before starting his way towards his quarters. He needed to rest before he became completely delusional.

ooo ooo

"Hey!" Irvine waved to Squall from the table he and Rinoa were sitting at.

The brunet SeeD shrugged slightly. Normally he ate alone in the furthest table in the cafeteria, but right now he guessed he could use the company to entertain his troubled mind. He nodded in greeting as he settled down his tray before taking a seat beside the raven-haired girl. Squall noticed both teenagers were wearing Balamb Garden's cadet uniforms, the cowboy's trademark hat was the only garment that remained from his normal attire.

"Glad you finally joined us in the land of the drifting, bored teenagers." said Irvine smiling before taking a sip of his orange juice.

"Are there any reports on our current location?" asked Squall as he cut a piece of bacon.

The sharpshooter shook his head. "Nope. Xu has already assembled the tech squad she mentioned earlier, but they're as clueless as us."

"Guys, can we talk about something else?" asked Rinoa softly "I really want to forget all of this, at least for a while."

Squall remained silent and continued to eat his breakfast. She was right, that was the reason he had decided to accompany them in the first place.

"Hey, Squall. Would you give me a tour of Garden?" the raven-haired girl asked as she glanced his way. When she noticed his raised eyebrow, Rinoa shrugged "You know, to get acquainted with the place."

"You can go explore it yourself." replied the brunet SeeD before sipping his coffee. "Or why don't you take Irvine with you?"

Rinoa remained silent for a minute before finally answering "Well, because I wanted _you_ to show _me_ around." The raven-haired girl then stood up and left without another word, leaving Squall completely confused.

"You really need to work out your techniques with the ladies, pal." said Irvine smiling as he glanced back from Rinoa's retreating figure to the brunet's face. "You're way too popular among them."

Squall frowned and continued eating his breakfast, ignoring the cowboy's subsequent laughter. A couple of silent minutes passed, Irvine still sporting an amused smile much to the other SeeD's annoyance. It seemed as though the cowboy knew something he didn't...

"Student 41269, Squall Leonhart?" asked a mature, deep voice, making both teens turn to regard the newcomer.

It was one of the Faculty members.

Squall nodded, his frown deepening as it was the first time since the whole factions incident that a Faculty was seen around Garden. He had thought the pesky administratives had been the only ones to actually evacuate the facility during the missile attack.

"Follow me. The Garden Master wishes to see you."

"Right now?" asked the brunet teen coldly.

"Yes, now. C'mon!" replied the Faculty angrily before turning to look at the other teenager. "Is this one of the SeeDs who participated in the Assassination plan?"

"Yes. This is Irvine Kinneas, the sharpshooter assigned to my squad from Galbadia Garden." replied Squall, his expression becoming darker as he realized why the mysterious NORG was requiring his presence.

"You'll come with us, too." ordered the Faculty before turning around and starting his way towards the Cafeteria's entrance.

Squall glanced at the cowboy before both SeeDs rose from their seats and walked outside the crowded facility.

ooo ooo

Rinoa walked through the main hall, still fuming after Squall hadn't caught her indirect. She glanced around, detecting a distant sign reading LIBRARY. Deciding to entertain herself and forget the little unpleasant incident with the stoic brunet, the raven-haired made her way towards the facility.

She fell in love with the place at once. There were so many books she doubted she could read all of them in a lifetime. Rinoa walked along the corridor, her right hand softly running over the books as she glanced at their titles.

Finally selecting a wide volume entitled _Magic: the flaws of spellcasting_, the raven-haired girl walked towards the back of the facility, where a large semicircular wooden table was located. Several chairs were arranged so that quite a good number of students could settle down to read the Library's material.

Aside from Rinoa, there was another girl occupying the wooden table. Her short ebony hair hid her features from view as she seemed to be focused in her lecture. She was dressing a blue sleeve-less shirt, large white skirt and a green shawl across her shoulders.

As Rinoa sat down, the girl turned and flashed her a small, courteous smile which the raven-haired girl returned with a nod before both resumed their respective lectures.

ooo ooo

"You must listen to me!"

The lift's characteristic _ping _as its doors opened was muffled in Squall's mind as he heard the familiar voice. The Headmaster seemed to be quite angry as his voice's normal tone and volume were far louder than he had ever listened Cid use before.

Both SeeDs left the elevator, their footsteps echoing through the wide chamber. The floor gleamed in a soft neon blue hue, while the walls were a darker shade of grey, increasing the cold sensation the room projected. The lift's doors closed and it whooshed upwards, leaving the teens wondering why the Faculty seemed to be in a hurry to abandon the place.

"Let go of me! I'm not finished yet!"

The Headmaster's plump frame came into view as he seemed to be trying to fight off a couple of Faculty members blocking his way and forcing him to retreat.

"You greedy-son-of-a-bitch! Why did I ever bother talking to you?" Cid yelled in anger, his stare still fixed in whatever laid beyond "SeeDs were brought up for the future and that future is now! Can't you just get that into your fat, thick head?!"

One of the Faculties grabbed the old man's vest and raised him effortlessly a couple of feet from the ground before shoving him hard towards the elevator's shaft. Cid landed on his rear and glared at the already retreating staff member.

"I should have never trusted you!" yelled the livid Headmaster "You, backstabbing pig! I wish I could go back ten years and tell myself you're nothing more than a money-grubbing son-of-a-bitch! That way I would have never built this place for your personal gaining!" Cid's body trembled in fury as he slammed his right fist on the metallic floor.

"Sir?" asked Squall approaching the old man.

The Headmaster turned around, his expression changing to an astonished one as he came face to face with the brunet SeeD. "Squall!" Cid scratched the back of his head in embarrassment as he asked "... Did you hear everything?"

The SeeD nodded, offering his superior a hand to help him get off the floor. The older man rose to his feet and smiled sadly "I'm sorry. Sometimes even old men like me loose their temper." He glanced above his right shoulder to the chamber where he had been mere minutes before and shook his head before saying "C'mon, let's get out of here."

"The Garden Master required to see us." replied Squall frowning.

"Really? Well, you better be prepared." warned Cid looking the SeeDs straight in the eyes. "Do not trust him or his... people."

"Are you sure you're ok, sir?" asked Irvine looking at the still shaken, old man.

"Yeah, thanks son. I just need to settle down." replied the Headmaster smiling, but both men could notice his smile was forced. "I'll be in my office if you need me." added Cid before walking pass the teenagers and entering the elevator.

Squall and Irvine looked as the lift raised, the sound of approaching footsteps making them turn and face one Faculty member. "You're the SeeDs who returned from Galbadia, correct?"

"Yes." replied the brunet SeeD nodding slightly.

"About time! Master NORG has been waiting for you." the Faculty complained as he led the teenagers to the Garden Master's chamber "C'mon!"

Squall and Irvine frowned, annoyed by the staff's tone but followed him without another word. The cowboy produced his beloved Valiant from a strap across his chest, the cadet uniform's blue jacket keeping it from view until now. Squall nodded at his action, his hand descending until it reached Revolver's hilt.

A large blue pod was standing in the middle of the vast room, several Faculty were standing around the place. Squall would have given them no second glance if it weren't for an important difference: they were not wearing hats... thus leaving their faces finally visible. His azure eyes widened as his mind finally registered what he was seeing...

... the entire Garden's Faculty were Shumi.

Their large oval faces were a pale shade of yellow and their wide dark eyes were the most dominant feature. Squall had seen that kind of eyes before, when he was laying on the floor of the D-District Prison, the only difference was the gentle gleam that high-lightened the Moomba's expressive gaze.

"GIVE-YOUR-REPORT-ON-THE-SORCERESS-FushifuruFushifuru..." a deep voice caught the SeeD's attention and he turned to his right where the giant pod was slowly opening to finally reveal the mysterious Garden Master.

Similar to the other Shumi, NORG was also pale-skinned, the radical difference was the amount of skin he had. While the Faculties were slender and tall, the Garden Master was quite overweight and although he sat inside the pod a couple of meters above the SeeDs, Squall could tell the Shumi's leader was huge.

The brunet SeeD was shocked. He couldn't believe the owner of Garden was not even human!

"Respond quickly and be concise." ordered the Faculty who had led them inside the room as he sensed Squall's hesitation.

The SeeD nodded frowning and stood in attention before the Garden Master, wondering where he should start... after all, they had failed to assassinate the Sorceress...

_This is going to be a sad report..._

"Four days ago, my squad arrived at Galbadia Garden where we had confirmation of Headmaster Cid's order. After Irvine Kinneas of Galbadia Garden joined our unit as the operative member in the plan, we set off to Deling city in order to interview with General Caraway and carry out the "Sorceress Assassination" order from Balamb and Galbadia Gardens-"

"Bjururururu!" NORG¨s guttural growl cut off Squall's words "BALAMB-AND-GALBADIA´S-ORDERS?" yelled angrily the Garden Master slamming his fists inside the pod "Bjurururu YOU-WERE-FOOLED!"

"Fooled?" asked Irvine looking between Squall and NORG.

"I.. don't understand." Squall replied frowning, confusion evident in his face.

"Fshururururu...EXPLAIN-TO-THEM!" ordered NORG to the same Faculty who had led the SeeDs to the chamber.

"Master NORG has known about the alliance between Sorceress Edea and the President of Galbadia since the beginning. The Headmaster of Galbadia Garden has been informing him of the situation for months."

"Bsufurururu... MARTINE-IS-A-SUBORDINATE-OF-MINE" added NORG before letting the staff member continue.

"That's right. We knew all along that Garden might be the Sorceress prime target as she and these facilities are closely connected. That's why when Edea made her first move and decided to take hold of Galbadia Garden, Master NORG sent Martine the official order to assassinate the Sorceress." The Faculty took a moment to catch his breath and said "A Galbadian team was supposed to be deployed in order to carry out the operation, but-"

"Bjurururu!" NORG´s enraged growl was heard again. His anger escalating as he said "THAT-SLY-WEASEL-MARTINE-USED-YOU-AS-A-LAST-RESORT-FOR-THE-OPERATION! THAT-WAY-HE-PLACED-THE-BLAME-ON-ME!!" His fists rose again, slamming hardly the pod's interior "THAT-BASTARD!!"

"Are you saying Cid had nothing to do with that order?" asked Squall frowning even deeper as realization finally hit. That was why Martine had insisted to check the orders Fujin and Raijin were to deliver them... he had manipulated the paperwork, making it look like the order was a joint work from Balamb and Galbadia...

"Bjurura... NO-HE-DIDN´T." replied NORG.

"You happened to appear just before the operation was carried out and Martine used you and your squad to place the blame elsewhere. The assassination failed and the Sorceress retaliated just as we expected." said the Faculty looking at the SeeDs. "Something must be done to quell her anger before she destroys all Gardens! And in order to do so, we're to hand over those involved in the assassination plan. We have to show Balamb Garden's sincerity..."

Squall's grip around Revolver's hilt tightened. "So you're going to betray SeeD?"

NORG almost chuckled as he replied "WE´LL-OFFER-YOUR-HEADS-TO-THE-SORCERESS-ON-A-SILVER-PLATTER-IF-THAT´S-WHAT-SHE-WANTS-TO-SPARE-MY-GARDEN."

"Why aren't we fighting the Sorceress?!" snapped angrily Squall. "What about the training we endure everyday? SeeD has the capacity to defeat Edea and you know it!"

NORG´S infuriated tone returned "YOU-LOST-TO-THE-SORCERESS! STOP-YOUR WHINING! Bsfufurururu!"

"That´s what Cid was saying a while ago..." muttered one of the Shumi standing on the left side of the room.

The Garden Master's fury escalated to a new level at the mention of the Headmaster's name. His growl actually making the walls tremble slightly, his faction running for their lives as NORG slammed his fists on the pod again. "CID?!" he yelled in anger "THAT-IDIOT-DISPACHED-SEEDS-TO-KILL-THE-SORCERESS-WITHOUT-MY-CONSENT!! AND-IF-THEY-FAIL? THIS-GARDEN-WOULD-BE-DONE-FOR! MY-GARDEN!" NORG slammed his fists harder again and continued "HAS-HE-FORGOTTEN-IT-WAS-ME-WHO-PLACED-THE-MONEY-IN-ORDER-TO-BUILD-THIS-PLACE?! I-INTENDED-TO-HAND-OVER-CID´S-HEAD-ALONG-WITH-YOURS-BUT-THE-STUDENTS-SIDED-WITH-HIM!! Bjufururururu THIS-IS-MY-GARDEN!"

"No! It's not only yours!" replied Squall angrily as he realized the extent NORG would go just to keep his income source up and running. Cid was right, the Garden Master was nothing more than a money-grubbing pig.

NORG chuckled and asked sarcastically "THEN-WHAT-IS-IT? CID-AND-EDEA´S? THAT-PATHETIC-MARRIED-COUPLE´S?!"

The brunet SeeD's eyes widened at the revelation. "What...?"

_The Headmaster and the Sorceress..._

_... are married?!_

"OF-COURSE!" replied the Garden Master as though he had finally understood a very important fact. "THAT-IS-WHY-THE-MISSILES-FAILED!! EDEA-KNEW-CID-WAS-HERE!" NORG growled again "THEY´RE-TRYING-TO-TAKE-GARDEN-AWAY-FROM-ME!! THEY´VE-BEEN-PLOTTING-THIS-SINCE-THE-BEGINNING!! BUT-I-WON´T-LET THEM... GARDEN-IS-MINE!!"

His dark eyes glowed with malice and anger as he settled them on the two male SeeDs standing a couple of meters below him. "AND-YOU-CID´S-FOLLOWERS..." growled NORG as he pressed something inside the pod, the thick metallic dome retreated to its original place, safely concealing the Garden Master inside. "... SHALL-FINALLY-DIE!!"

A couple of layers in NORG´s pod slid upwards, revealing two blue orbs which flickered slightly before finally turning to a red hue. Irvine cocked Valiant, and shot the pod's dome. The armor-piercing round, however, made no damage to the thick protection.

Squall cast a powerful Thundara, the electricity coursing through the machinery before it disappeared. NORG's snicker could be heard inside the dome.

"FOOL-SEEDS!" A second later, the left orb flashed more brightly and Squall was hurled against the wall by a strong gust. The right orb flashed too and Irvine was barely able to shield himself behind a Shell spell.

The brunet SeeD hissed in anger and pain as NORG's attack had injured his left shoulder. He focused his energy and called forth one of his Guardians. If magic and physical attacks did nothing to his dome, let's see what a GF could do...

The chamber's temperature descended quickly, the neon floor freezing as the Ice Goddess made her appearance. NORG sensed her attack and released his own protector to battle the SeeD's GF. A shriek was heard, the sound echoing through the walls a second before the space shifted, a dimensional gate opening to reveal a blue liquid substance leaking from it.

The water slithered and quickly became solid, shiny scales forming from the droplets as NORG´s Guardian prepared to attack.

Leviathan, the Water Serpent hissed menacingly at Shiva, who just stared emotionless at the other GF. The Ice Goddess called forth her chilling powers, the cold gusts of wind enveloping Leviathan's slender body. The Serpent Guardian shifted its form to a liquid state, taking in the water contained in Shiva's attack and adding it to its body, growing larger by the second.

"YOU-ARE-NOT-THE-ONLY-ONES-TO-BENEFIT-FROM-ODINE´S-RESEARCH-SEEDS!" said the Garden Master snickering confidently as his Guardian evaded the Ice Goddess attack.

Squall's eyes narrowed as he witnessed the battle unfold. Another couple of roars made him turn to his right as Irvine's GFs joined the battle. The Brothers landed heavily on either side of Leviathan, trapping the liquid Guardian in the middle.

The brunet SeeD reached inside his mind, his telepathic connection with the Ice Goddess allowing him to speak to her without the others even being aware of that. Shiva smiled slightly in Squall's direction, acknowledging his orders and resumed her attack, her whole strength directed to Leviathan's head, the furious cold wind hissing loudly in the room, muffling the conversation the SeeD was having with Irvine.

The cowboy nodded and prepared his magic.

Leviathan hissed again, his tail swinging around and catching Sacred's chest, hurling the gargantuan Guardian against the furthest wall. Minotaur growled and rushed to the Water GF, his mace ready to attack the serpent, however the Water God shifted its body's surface again, the heavy weapon going through Leviathan without effort or damage on the snake.

Shiva's cold attack froze the Serpent's head as the Brothers had distracted NORG's GF enough so the Ice Goddess could finish her part of the plan. Squall and Irvine cast the spells they'd been preparing, the Double magic enhancing their subsequent attacks as four powerful Thundaras coursed through Leviathan's frozen head, Shiva's magic enhancing the SeeD's spells further.

The Water God hissed in agony, his body flickering between liquid and solid as the electric charge made its way through his large slender frame. Shiva increased the cold in the room, her magic not only aimed at the trashing Guardian, but also to the top of NORG's pod.

Recovering from Leviathan's blow, Sacred quickly made its way towards the Garden Master's protective dome, the Guardian's heavy mace slamming the metallic layer hard, the resulting blast muffling NORG´s frightened scream.

The dome shattered, exposing the shaking Shumi in its interior. Irvine saw his chance and reached out for NORG's mind, the cowboy's energy enveloping around the Garden Master's Guardian and pulling him from his summoner.

Squall was already on the move, as Leviathan's frame dissolved into a bright blue light, the brunet SeeD leaped towards NORG, Revolver held high. The gunblade's tip pierced the Garden Master's chest, dark blood leaking from the injury as NORG's body shook in anger and pain. His mind flashed a powerful wind spell, trying to take Squall to Hell with him...

... however, the SeeD remained right where he was. As Leviathan's energy left NORG's mind, so did his ability to cast magic.

"DAMNED-SEEDS!" cursed NORG loudly, a trail of blood leaving his lips as he spoke "... THIS-IS... MY... GARDEN!"

"It's not." hissed Squall in rage, his azure eyes sending icicles to the Garden Master. The brunet SeeD had never been so enraged before. Not only had this greedy bastard tried to kill them, but also was resorting to destroy SeeD and betray the founder of Garden only to keep the money entering his account.

Squall's weapon slowly pushed forward a couple of inches before the SeeD finally pulled the trigger twice.

Revolver's bloodied blade retreated from the cold yellowish skin to its sheath as Squall gazed over the Garden Master's dark-stained corpse.

"So like, what was all that about?" asked Irvine watching the brunet leap down NORG's pod.

Squall didn´t reply, instead he turned around and started walking to the elevator. A couple of Shumi tried to cut off his way, but retreated as the brunet SeeD sent them a glare that could easily freeze Ifrit's realm over.

The cowboy quickly followed Squall, both SeeDs entering the lift before the still enraged teenager slammed the third floor button.

_This is crazy! _

_I don't know what's going on anymore..._

_I feel like a helpless puppet being manipulated in a major scheme!_

The only thing Squall had in his mind right now was to get answers. And the best source available now that NORG had met his end, was the Headmaster.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author's note:_

_Hey again! Hope you liked this chapter. The battle with NORG was rather short and involved GFs mostly. I always wondered why the characters that had GFs didn't use them against the SeeDs... Oh, well! I hoped the result was of your liking._

_Sorry for all the cursing in this chapter, but most of it comes directly from FF8´s script, so blame the original authors! :D Besides, I think NORG deserved to be called like that! And his death was more than deserved too!_

_Well, gotta go!_

_Lots of hugs and kisses to all of you!_

_  
Celestial Rage._


	43. Chapter 43 Of SeeDs and Sorceresses

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 43: Of SeeDs and Sorceresses**

By CelestialRage

Squall stormed inside Cid's office, not even bothering in knocking the door to announce his presence.

He was too angry to care.

The brunet SeeD had never felt so used! NORG had revealed him very important information the Headmaster had never even mentioned before. The greedy Garden Master's attitude and words, the blanks about SeeD's role against the war with the Sorceress, along with all the pressure he still had from the failed mission against Edea and the disappearance of half of his squad, made Squall's blood finally reach the boiling point.

"Squall?" called a female voice. The brunet SeeD glanced upwards, where the recently activated platform stood, to find Xu looking back at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to see Cid." growled Squall.

"Well, he's not here." replied the female SeeD as she descended on the small cargo lift the tech squad had managed to mount to connect Cid's office with Garden's new bridge. "Why do you need him?"

"Do you know where he is?" Squall's cold tone made Xu frown.

"I guess he's in the Infirmary... he was not feeling well." replied the second-in-command, the last words almost inaudible as the brunet SeeD suddenly turned around and stalked away without another word. Xu turned to see Irvine, who just shrugged and offered her a small smile before following his enraged comrade back to the elevator.

ooo ooo

The _whoosh_ the door made as it opened made Doctor Kadowaki raise her head from the paperwork she was reading to the approaching teenagers. Her smile died down as she noticed Squall's grim expression.

"Is Cid here?" asked the brunet SeeD harshly, his tone softening a little as he noticed the doctor's hurt look.

"Yes, but he's not feeling well..." replied the older woman in a calm tone, hoping it would help to soothe Squall's choleric demeanor somewhat.

"I'm alright doctor." Cid's voice came from one of the small cubicles on the left area of the infirmary. "Please, send them in."

"Alright, sir." replied Kadowaki standing up. She turned to look at Squall and said " Just take it easy, ok? He's got a lot in his mind."

_Well, then that makes two of us..._

The brunet SeeD nodded without another word and started his way towards the room the Headmaster was occuping. Cid was sitting on the small mattress, his stare fixed on his glasses as he cleaned them with the edge of his vest. The older man turned to acknowledge the teenagers, his eyes were slightly red, as though he had been crying.

"I'm sorry you saw me in such an embarrassing state." said Cid smiling as he motioned the SeeDs to take a seat in the nearby chairs.

"NORG is dead." Squall's statement made the Headmaster close his eyes momentarily and take a deep breath before finally composing himself.

"I supposed so..." he turned to look at the brunet SeeD's cold eyes before adding "I guess you want to know how I met such a... character, uh?" when Squall remained silent, Cid sighed and continued "Well, it was 14 years ago... I was running around trying to raise funds to build the Garden. I met NORG in Fisherman's Horizon, the Shumi, as you probably know, are very good merchants and have lots of money, so when he got interested in the project I thought Hyne had finally answered my prayers. We started building this place, but soon discovered we needed an enormous amount of money to keep the Garden running. That was when NORG suggested we should hire SeeDs as mercenaries."

"The money began flowing into Garden in large quantities... soon we had enough not only to support this Garden, but also to expand the project, building the facilities in Galbadia and Trabia." Cid sighed again and shook his head slightly before continuing "But as the capital came in, Garden began to change. NORG's sight was straight on the money, so he started bringing in some of his fellow Shumi and formed the Faculty. He said it was to keep order inside Garden, given the amount of students we had... but the truth was he was slowly taking control of the facility."

"NORG turned Garden into his personal 'Golden-egg Hen', the high ideals behind Garden's foundation were lost and it's true purpose was covered up, not only from the students but from the SeeDs themselves just to satisfy NORG's greediness."

"True purpose?" asked Squall frowning.

Cid nodded "SeeD's true mission..." the Headmaster remained silent for a minute before finally answering "... to defeat the Sorceress."

ooo ooo

Rinoa came out of the Library, the raven-haired girl walked down towards the main hall. She figured Squall would probably be either in his room or inside the Training Center, a small smile highlighting her features as she could imagine the stoic SeeD choosing the monster's lair as the perfect scenario for a first date.

A familiar figure hurriedly exiting the elevator caught her attention.

"Xu!" called Rinoa as she quickly approached the female SeeD. "What's wrong?"

ooo ooo

Squall's frown deepened at the revelation. Suddenly, everything started to finally make sense: his magic training, the GF junctioning in order to enhance their abilities, not only physical and mental, but also magical.

_That's why Seifer had been asking me about SeeD's true purpose..._

_... why Edea had tried to blow Garden and SeeD from the face of Earth..._

_... and why she has taken control of one of the facilities._

"The many missions SeeD take as mercenaries around the world are meant as training for their true purpose... the final battle against the Sorceress." said Cid softly as he glanced at his hands resting on his knees. "That time has finally arrived..."

"But sir, Sorceress Edea is your wife..." said Irvine sadly, his words making Cid's eyes widen and turn to look at the cowboy.

"NORG told us." added Squall. He could sense the Headmaster's grief and wondered how Cid could spend everyday of his life training mercenaries that in the end would kill the woman he once loved...

... or still did.

Cid remained silent for a couple of minutes before finally saying "That's right. Edea is my wife... She's been a Sorceress since childhood, but I married her even knowing that. It was never an issue..." The Headmaster stood and turned to look at the ocean "After the Sorceress-War, Edea and I built an orphanage to house all the children whose parents were part of the battle's numerous casualties. We worked together and lived very happy..." his eyes seemed to glow slightly as the joyful memories played for his mind´s eye.

"One day, Edea came to me and started talking about building Garden and training SeeDs. I was surprised, because she had everything planned. The idea seemed so sudden but strangely, so possible too... I became obsessed with that plan and started to work in building Garden." Cid sighed and said "SeeD's purpose, however was a very concerning topic to me... I couldn't help but think that one day the same mercenaries we would train will face my beloved Edea..."

The older man's demeanor saddened even further as he whispered "She laughed at me and said it would never happen..." Cid took a deep breath and after a silent minute said "Life can be so ironic..."

The three men stayed silent, Squall's anger quelled minutes ago.

"Headmaster!" a female voice called from the Infirmary's main room, the sudden interruption of the facility's silent atmosphere nearly making the SeeDs jump.

"I'm here." replied Cid turning around to regard his second-in-command. "What's wrong, Xu?"

"A ship, sir! It's approaching us from the west... it could be Galbadians!" said the female SeeD between forced breaths. "Or even worse, the Sorceress could be on board!"

Squall looked at the Headmaster out the corner of his eyes as the last words left Xu's lips, however, Cid showed no emotion at the statement. Instead, the older man remained calm and asked:

"How does this ship look like?"

"Uh?" the question seemed to take Xu offguard, the female SeeD hesitated for a second before finally answering "It´s white, very large and slender, with some kind of solar panels on the back."

Cid smiled and said "Don´t worry, those are not Galbadians." The Headmaster started walking pass the teenagers before motioning them to follow "We should go and greet Edea´s White SeeDs."

ooo ooo

Squall's grip on Revolver's hilt tightened as he, Irvine, Xu, Rinoa and Cid approached the second floor's deck. The Headmaster's last words before they left the Infirmary still lingered in his mind.

_Edea's White SeeDs..._

The same bad, foreboding sensation returned to his mind as Cid opened the door and greeted the ship's occupants.

Three white-cladded teenagers easily jumped on board the Garden's deck, Squall's frown deepening as he recognized one of them. He was in the Training Center the night of his Graduation Ball.

"Headmaster Cid, it's good to see you." said the dark-haired teenager as he approached the older man.

"You too, Noah. What brings you here?" replied Cid smiling.

"We've come for Ellone. I'm afraid it's too dangerous for her to stay here now." said Noah frowning. "One of my men established in Galbadia heard that the Sorceress and her new General are looking for her all over the continent. It's only a matter of time before Edea starts to look in the outer lands too."

The Headmaster sighed. "Yes, I know."

Squall's expression grew darker when he could finally place where he'd heard the girl´s name before. It was during the strange dreams he'd been experiencing, when he was no longer the 17-years-old SeeD he saw in the mirror every morning...

... but when he was Laguna.

The frustrating sense of confusion raised again within Squall´s mind. When he finally thought he'd understood what was going on around him, this man... this_ SeeD_ starts talking about a girl he knew from a couple of strange vivid dreams... or whatever they were. Squall felt completely lost as several thoughts flashed in his mind at neckbreaking speed.

_Ellone..._

_... Laguna's dreams ..._

_Edea's White SeeDs..._

_... Garden ..._

_... himself ..._

_What is the connection?!_

"Squall?" Cid's voice made the young man force this confusing thoughts out of his mind... at least for the time being. The brunet SeeD turned to look at his superior and silently waited for whatever the older man had to say.

"Please go find Ellone and bring her here." Cid's features were highlightened by a small smile "You know her, so it wouldn't take you much time."

_I do?_

_From where?_

"Squall?" Cid raised an eyebrow as he noticed the brunet SeeD's hesitation.

The young man seemed to argue with himself briefly before finally nodding and saluting the Headmaster. "Yes, sir." Without another word, he exited the deck followed by Irvine and Rinoa, who immediately volunteer to help him out.

ooo ooo

His footsteps carried him to the interior of the Library.

Why had he chosen to start looking for the mysterious woman here was beyond him. The only thing Squall was certain of was a sensation deep inside of him, a feeling he hadn't experienced for a long time...

... comfort.

The girl's name shot this terrifying feeling inside him. Why? He didn't have a clue, but somehow he knew it had to do with his childhood... the memories were vague and poor but if he focused enough, flashes of images presented in his mind, all too quick and confusing to decipher.

_The sea..._

_... a lighthouse_

_children's laughter... _

_... a warm hand_

_... a fairy-tales's book _

_rain..._

_... silence_

_... pain_

The carpeted floor muffled his booted footsteps as he approached the back part of the Library, where the study area was located. His heart skipped a beat as his azure eyes fell upon the lone sitting figure of a young lady. Squall recognized her clothes immediately and finally understood why the Headmaster knew he had met the girl before. Surely Quistis had reported the little incident to him.

For the girl in front of him was no other than the same he'd seen in the Infirmary after his last "training session" with Seifer and the one he and Quistis had saved from the Granaldo's attack later that same day.

But why did the girl trigger his faint childhood memories?

Why did she make his heart feel at ease?

Squall shook his head and forced the feeling aside as he managed a couple of steps in her direction. She seemed to feel his stare and turned around, her pretty face beaming as she saw who was approaching.

"Hi" her soft voice finally broke the silent atmosphere.

"Are you Ellone?" asked brunet SeeD uncertainly.

The girl's smile widened. "Yes, Squall."

"How do you know my name?" asked the young man raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Then you don't remember... " Her smile faded as she muttered sadly "It's heartbreaking to know I was forgotten."

"Remember?" Squall's frown deepened as confusion raised in him again like a huge tidalwave. "You mean... those strange dreams?" A sudden idea flashed his mind like a thunderbolt "You know Laguna, right?"

Ellone nodded "Yes, I really love Uncle Laguna."

"Then, you know what we're experiencing?!" asked the brunet SeeD, his tone had a hard edge as he demanded "Tell me!"

"I'm sorry Squall... it's hard to explain." replied Ellone shaking her head slightly. "The only thing I can say is it's about the past..."

"The past?" The young man muttered "Then it was not only a dream... it really happened." His azure eyes turned to look at the short-haired girl "But why? Why are we seeing this?"

Ellone's chestnut eyes locked with his as she said "People say you can't change the past. But if there was a chance... no matter how slim, wouldn't it be worth a try?"

_Change the past? _

_Is she serious? _

"Wait a minute, are you the one responsible?!" snapped Squall angrily as he glared at the girl in front of him. Who did she think she was to mess with _his _head?!

"I'm sorry, Squall. I can't do this alone, I need you to-"

"I don't care!" his anger reaching another level as he realized he was nothing more than a puppet for this girl and whatever plans she was trying to accomplish "I´ve enough problems as it is! Don't get me involved in this!"

"I'm sorry..." Ellone's apology was lost as Squall turned his back on her and walked to sit on a chair at the other side of the study area.

"Don't count on me." He said coldly "Just leave me alone."

ooo ooo

The White SeeD's ship set sail 15 minutes later, Ellone and Noah waving the Headmaster goodbye as the solar panels used to provide the large boat of power displayed, capturing the dying sun's last rays as they quickly vanished over the horizon.

ooo ooo

Squall laid in his bed, his troubled mind making him restless, despite his tired body's need for sleep. The brunet SeeD played Ellone's last words before she and Xu – who had happened to enter the Library looking for the short-haired girl – left him sitting in the study area.

_You're my only hope..._

Her soft voice still echoed through his mind and he swore he could still feel her delicate breath in his ear. Squall shifted his position and closed his eyes, trying to relax and slip into merciful slumber, so that the thoughts plaguing his head would leave him alone... at least for the nighttime hours.

Ellone's face presented in his mind again.

He grunted in frustration as he shifted back to his previous position and stared at the white tiles of his room's ceiling. Why did people trusted in each other? Why rely on others if they're going to abandon you sooner or later? Why did Ellone place her trust and hopes on him when he didn't even know her?

Squall didn't understand.

_In the end, everybody is on their own... so why bother?_

He was proud of himself for being able to stand on his own. He had made it this far in a very difficult and dangerous career. Being a SeeD was not easy, but he'd made up of the challenge.

But it hadn't always been like that...

When he was a kid, he needed others to provide him of what he needed to survive. Squall was the first to admit he had been able to make it this far because somewhere along the line there were others to help him, to offer guidance or some knowledge he would apply later. Headmaster Cid, his instructors, Doctor Kadowaki, Odine's research which provided him with his GFs and para-magic and even NORG´s funding... all of them helped him to reach this point in his life.

But he was an adult now and had all the skills he needed to survive.

He could handle himself now...

... or couldn't he?

Squall turned again, the mess of thoughts coursing through his brain at neckbreaking speed almost making him yell in frustration. The Sorceress, SeeD's true purpose, the White SeeDs, Ellone, Laguna, Seifer, Garden, Rosie, his missing comrades... everything seemed to come like a tidalwave threatening to drown him!

He was confused, scared and alone.

A low growl left his throat as he realized he felt like a child again. He didn't want that! He couldn't trust in anyone, he didn't want to rely on others! That was why he had distanced himself in the first place...

... to avoid pain.

Not only of being betrayed, but also of being left alone.

_I'm already alone._

... But that suited him fine. As much as he didn't want to get involved in other's affairs, he didn't want to share his burden with others either. It was not their load to carry, but his and his only. Squall's frown deepened as he tried to suppress the wave of thoughts menacing to rise again, his confusion and anger rising to a point he wished for someone to finally tell him what the hell was going on and end his torture!

Someone?

_Then I'll end up depending in others after all?_

Squall shook his head and turned again, a sigh of frustration escaping his lips as he settled down again.

_No. _

_Unacceptable._

The thought lead him straight to the beginning of his seemingly endless tossing and turning: Ellone's request. Why did she wanted to change the past? What was so important she would go the length of involving people she didn't... or barely knew?

Why him?

Why now?

His eyes started to drop as a memory played in his mind.

It was raining, he was cold, sad and alone, but there was something... no, someone he had to stand strong for.

Who was it?

_Sis..._

_... I'm all alone..._

She had vanished without even stopping to say goodbye and Squall had bowed to do his best to take care of himself. Maybe if he wasn't so dependant on others, she'd come back.

And if she didn't, he'll grow up strong so he could find her.

ooo ooo

Squall cracked open one eye as he detected a shadow looming over him, blocking the new morning's sunlight. The SeeD instantly jolted awake, his mercenary instincts kicking in as he turned around and grabbed the intruder's arm hard and released a weak Thunder spell.

"Ouch!" yelped a female's voice.

"Shit!" cursed Squall as his mind registered who the intruder was "Rinoa, what are you doing here?" asked the brunet SeeD letting go of his client.

"I came to wake you up." replied the raven-haired girl, rubbing her right arm. She smiled and said "You looked adorable sleeping like a baby, you know?"

Squall didn't answer, his humor was fouler than usual thanks to all the previous events, added – of course - to the lack of proper sleep. His gaze fixed on the door and he cursed himself for not locking it last night as he normally did, his troubled mind making the little mistake slip unoticed. The SeeD's eyes returned to his client, noticing the light bruise he'd left on her skin. "You should go to the Infirmary."

"Well, if _someone_ had showed me around yesterday, I'd know where it is by now." replied the raven-haired girl smirking slightly.

Squall folded his arms and turned his head to the side. "Will you leave me alone if I do?"

"Oh, your Highness is in a foul mood." said Rinoa still smiling, clearly unphazed by the SeeD´s demeanor. "But to show you I´m nice, yeah, I´ll leave you alone after I get my arm cured." Her smile widened at the subsecuent thought that flashed through her mind.

… _at least for now._

Squall sighed and getting up from his resting place on the mattress, muttered a cold "Fine" Ignoring the raven-haired girl´s amused expression, the young SeeD turned and started his way towards the Infirmary.

ooo ooo

"We´ll be able to transmit soon, sir." said one of the cadets in the tech squad as he and other 2 students busied themselves in repairing the intercom system.

"I´m glad." replied Cid smiling, his eyes gazing at the vast ocean in front of them. The Headmaster´s mind returned to a time where he would stare every morning at the deep dark waters surrounding the Centra continent.

A time of love, happiness and fulfillment.

His expression changed, his brows meeting half the way of his forehead as he remembered that morning almost seven years ago.

The morning when he woke up only to discover _she_ was missing. His beloved wife had vanished. Just like that… not even a letter was left behind. Her clothes were still hanging inside the closet, she didn´t even took their boat… the only way she could have gotten out of the distant region they lived in was using her powers, something she avoided as much as she could, only resorting to them in order to cure the injures suffered by the small children they housed, most of which were transfered either to Garden or the White SeeD´s ship after her disappearance.

That day, Cid Kramer knew the future had finally arrived…. the Sorceress had abandoned her Knight. Her powers were on the loose and without someone – namely him – to help her channel the overflowing magic, she would eventually lose control.

That was when he dedicated his entire time to SeeD. For years, the Headmaster´s time had split between his administrative duties within Garden´s complex and the time he spent with Edea in the little orphanage they ran. Normally, the latter was less, but they always had managed to make each minute count...

"Sir?"

Xu´s voice made him snap out of his brief reverie. The older man shook his head slightly as he turned to look at his second-in-command´s concerned face "Sorry, what were you saying, Xu?"

"I said we´re online again." She replied, her dark eyes scanning the Headmaster´s face as she asked "Are you feeling well, sir?"

Cid took off his lenses and cleaned them with the end of his vest, his eyes avoiding the short-haired girl´s on purpose as he tried to settle down "Yes. Don´t worry." Putting the glasses back on, the older man smiled slightly and said in the most cheerful tone he could muster at that moment "Well, let´s get into it then."

ooo ooo

"There." said Doctor Kadowaki as she finished bandaging Rinoa´s arm. "The Cure spell I casted shall do the trick, but we better keep the injure like this to avoid further harm."

"Thanks, doctor." replied the raven-haired girl smiling.

The older woman dismissed her thanks with a wave of her hand and glanced at the brunet man standing beside her patient. "Squall, it´s good to see you accompanied again. Who is this lovely lady?" Kadowaki smiled as she asked teasingly "Have you finally gotten yourself a girlfriend?"

"No, I´m just showing her around." replied the brunet SeeD folding his arms over his chest.

Rinoa rolled her eyes "Squall... Hyne, can´t you just say "yes" for fun?"

The young man turned to look at her and muttered "Alright, then, "yes"." He put special emphasis in the last word, hoping that way his client would finally be satisfied.

However, the raven-haired girl raised a fine eyebrow and asked "Would it hurt too much to say it like you mean it?"

Squall turned his head to the side again "Whatever."

The doctor chuckled after the little exchange was over. "You guys look cute together." Her laughter increasing slightly as she caught the brunet´s glare.

Three loud chimes followed by a familiar male voice made the three of them forget the conversation as they listened intently to the Cid´s announcement.

_Hello everyone! This is the Headmaster speaking. The lines had finally been fixed thanks to our excellent tech squad and we´re finally able to transmit again..._

_What?_

_Oh, HYNE!!_

_WHOOOOAAAA!!_

ooo ooo

His stare was fixed on the clear waters almost 10 meters below. It was a beautiful late spring day, the seaguls sang all around him while the sun´s gentle rays warmed his old body. What else could he ask for?

Just one word: fish

He sighed as his tired chestnut eyes glanced at his fishing rod´s line again. Not a single damn fish had bitten for the whole 5 hours he´d been sitting in his usual spot on the lowest part of the huge metallic structure that served as support for the town he had been living in for the past 15 years.

A sudden loud noise made him turn his head to the left, his eyes widening as a huge blue object approached at high speed, the once calm waters creating large waves. Debris flying everywhere as the gargantuan object collided with one of the towers surrounding the structure.

Another movement, this time to his right, made his gaze drift from the approaching menace to his fishing rod. He cursed inwardly as the line moved, a fish finally tugging its end. As quickly as he could, the old man took the rod, trying to pull his day´s first – an by the look of it, only – catch, his eyes shifting between the still struggling fish underwater and the nearing object.

An expletive left his lips as he dropped the rod before turning around and running for dear life, his old body making his way to the top of a nearby ladder just before the huge azure object collided with the structure he was sitting on mere minutes ago.

ooo ooo

The Garden rocked violently, Squall and Rinoa were already in the main hall, the SeeD bolting off from the Infirmary as soon as he heard the Headmaster´s terrified scream on the PA system.

_Damn! _

_We just collided with something! _

_What the hell are they doing at the bridge?!_ thought Squall angrily as he made his way towards the elevator, his globed hand slamming the 3rd floor´s button just as his client entered the lift.

"Please, everyone remain calm and don´t get outside Garden under any circumstance until you´re allowed to. We´re already working to get things back to normal." The Headmaster´s voice echoed through his office as Squall opened the door, the SeeD walking towards the small cargo lift.

Cid turned as the noise of the lift connecting his office with the bridge reached his ears. The Headmaster smiled a little as Squall and Rinoa stepped into the platform before turning the PA system off, the three characteristic chimes sounding before the transmission was finally over. "Ah, Squall. I was about to call you... thank you for coming."

The SeeD nodded, sparing a glance at the metallic structure beyond Cid´s windows. How could the Headmaster fail to detect such an enormous object was beyond him. The older man´s words made Squall snap to attention.

"Here are your orders." The SeeD saluted his superior before standing in attention, Rinoa taking a step back as she felt a little uncomfortable at the military protocol. "We have just landed on Fisherman´s Horizon. Hopefully the damage to Garden is not much, however our facility has destroyed a couple of water-processing towers. I want you to go ashore with Xu and Irvine, find the local leaders and offer them our apologies. Afterwards, Xu will purchase provisions and hire some technicians to help us with Garden´s new navigation system."

_Why do I have to go?_

"... Yes sir." replied the SeeD saluting his supperior after a brief hesitation.

However, this detail didn´t escape Cid´s eyes, the Headmaster frowning a little as he asked "Do you have something you want to tell me?"

"No..." Squall shook his head slightly.

"Although SeeD is a intended mostly for combat, I want you to broaden your horizons too, Squall. Go take a look at the town and ask the officers if they don´t mind if the students go ashore a while too. I´m sure they´ll be more than happy to leave this facility for a change." said the Headmaster smiling. His gaze falling in the raven-haired girl standing a couple of steps behind the SeeD "Oh, and take Rinoa with you, I´m sure she´ll like to see the town too. Besides, it´s not hostile ground, so you can rest assure."

Squall nodded again, the idea however, didn´t exciting him as much as it did his client. After saluting his superior again, the brunet SeeD turned around and descended in the small cargo lift before walking out the room.


	44. Chapter 44 FH

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 44: FH**

By CelestialRage

The heavy metallic door slid to his right, the warm sunlight welcoming Squall as he stepped into Garden second floor's deck. Xu, Rinoa and a slightly groggy Irvine following him close.

The raven-haired girl had practically dragged the cowboy out of his quarters. The sharpshooter had been sleeping soundly and not even the collision had been able to stir him. Especially since his recently acquired GF had regained its energy and had spent half of the night engaged in a mental discussion with the Brothers. Only after the cowboy had menaced with blowing his head off with Valiant, did the three GFs stopped their bickering, finally allowing the poor Irvine to rest.

Squall glanced at the large metallic arm that had been deployed so it could reach Garden. Three civilians were standing a couple of meters away from the deck's railing, their attention shifting from their whispered conversation to the approaching teenagers. One of them neared the SeeDs, stopping a couple of feet from Squall.

The brunet teen could notice some kind of insignia in his black cap, apparently this civilian was a policeman. His blunt voice soon confirmed Squall's assumption "Before we say anything else, here's a warning: no belligerence is tolerated in this town. We are a pacific society, therefore, if you incur in any type of conflict, you'll be asked to leave immediately."

Squall nodded "Understood." The teenagers behind him nodding in agreement as the policeman's gaze settled on them. "We are representatives of Garden and come in peace."

The policeman's frown deepened a little as he inspected the SeeDs´ faces. Apparently satisfied with his analysis, he finally relaxed and even smiled slightly as he said "Well, welcome to Fisherman's Horizon, though we just call it FH. Sorry for the rude greeting, but when something as bulky as your base comes crashing in... well, we tend to feel anxious."

"We're terribly sorry." said Xu sincerely "We lost control of the Garden and couldn't avoid your town."

"Nah, don't worry, lady!" said the second man smiling "We love fixing stuff anyway."

"Yeah, what's important is that nobody got hurt." added the third citizen "Well, except for the master fisherman's rod, but it's replaceable. By the way, I'm Jeffrey, this – he said pointing towards the second man – is Harry and that is John."

The policeman – John – nodded "You guys should go see the Mayor. I'm sure he'll want to have a word with you."

"Where can we find him?" asked Irvine, who seemed to finally be completely awake.

Jeffrey gestured over his shoulder. "It's easy, his residence is right over there in the center of the Solar Panel."

The SeeDs glanced over the technician's shoulder. Fisherman's Horizon was a relatively small town, what made it seem huge was the gargantuan, circular, shinning, blue panel settled just in the middle of the city. Thousands of crystals covered the circumference, catching the solar rays and storing the energy in several power generators concealed in a large underwater facility. Standing out between all the shiny solar panels, was a wide metallic platform which surrounded a tall building that seemed to be made of the same material as its support.

Squall nodded "We'll do just that."

"Well, kick back and enjoy your stay." added Jeffrey smiling.

ooo ooo

"Sir, we've the arrival time." said the soldier as he entered his ranking officer's private cabin.

The Commander's attention shifted from the maps on his desk to his subordinate. "Well, are you going to stay there all day or tell me, Private?" snarled the officer, annoyed by the sudden interruption.

"Sorry, sir!" replied the galbadian trooper nervously as he saluted Okamoto again before standing in attention "Estimated arrival time is 20 minutes, sir."

The Commander nodded "Okay, dismissed."

"Yes, sir!" replied the soldier saluting the officer again before walking out of the room.

Okamoto shook his head slightly at the trooper's antics before returning his attention to the plan he had been devising.

ooo ooo

"Just out of curiosity..." said Harry as he led the SeeDs towards the huge cargo lift leading to the city's core "How did Balamb Garden got here?"

Squall's frown deepened as he turned to regard the technician "How do you know it's-"

"Balamb Garden?" interrupted Jeffrey smiling "Well, that's because we painted the patterns on the walls a long time ago."

"Yeah, those were the good old times." added Harry sparing one last glance at the blue building before boarding the lift. He pressed a couple of buttons before turning to see the teenagers "So, are you guys heading for Esthar?"

"Esthar?" asked Rinoa curiously.

"Yeah, you know, the high-tech city on the eastern continent." replied John, the lift moving slowly downwards as they spoke. "Most of the people who come here are headed for Esthar... however, as the trains stopped running ten years ago the only choice is to walk all the way there."

"Why did they stop running?" asked Irvine frowning "You're technicians, right?"

"Yeah, but it was due to other reasons." replied John

Harry shrugged "Politics."

The lift finally reached the city's surface, the technicians leading the SeeDs to a wide metallic walkway, leading straight to the Mayor's house. "Well, here we are." said John smiling "We better not keep you further. See you around!"

"Thanks." replied Squall nodding slightly as he started his way towards the tall building.

ooo ooo

_Attention! We have reached FH´s coast, all units to battle stations._

_I repeat,_

_All units to battle stations._

"Quick, ladies. We don't have all damn day!" the galbadian Lieutenant yelled as his troops ran to their designated positions. Taking another breath of his cancerous stick, Lt. Davis turned to look at the soldiers sitting on the panels behind him. "Are the SAMs ready?"

"Yes, sir. 10 units will be deployed with the first wave." replied the trooper looking at the screen's data.

"What's the status on the fleet?" asked the galbadian officer letting out a thin chain of smoke.

"The 4 vessels are already in formation, our ship will be the first to arrive. Commander Okamoto will close the attack."

"Good." Davis smirked as he looked at the approaching small town.

ooo ooo

As Squall had noticed before, the Mayor's house was made of the same metal as the platform it stood on. The place would have seen too cold for comfort, however a couple of trees helped to warm the house's look, their green leaves swaying slightly as the ocean breeze caressed them delicately.

Squall knocked the door and waited. A minute passed and there was no response. He frowned and after a brief hesitation, decided it was best to get inside.

Instead of a cozy-looking living room, the SeeDs were greeted by several machines and monitors of all kinds displaying information on the town's various energy supply systems. A male voice could be heard upstairs, the teenagers making their way towards the source. The upper room was less crowded with machinery than the previous chamber, the high windowed ceiling made the room seem more comfortable to the teenagers´ eyes. An elderly couple was sitting on a fluffy-looking mat, just across the stairway.

"Please, have a seat." said the Mayor softly, motioning the SeeDs to come closer. His tropical - almost shabby - attire made Squall reflect on the now defunct President of Galbadia and the formal black suit he wore.

The SeeDs obliged, Irvine crossing his long legs as there wasn't enough room to house them all. The older man frowned slightly as he said "Allow me to get to the point. When are you leaving?"

Squall's frown deepened a little, the Mayor was certainly not wasting any time. "We'll leave as soon as Garden is capable of moving again."

"Any idea on when that will be?"

The brunet SeeD shrugged "I'm afraid not. We only discovered our Garden was mobile four days ago. We don't even know how to move it, in fact, we're still trying to figure out the controls as long as they're Centra technology."

"I see." replied the Mayor nodding. "Well, in that case I'll deploy a group of our best technicians. They will be able to service anything you need as we have knowledge on every kind of technology made by men. How does that sound?"

Squall's frown became even deeper.

_That would mean letting outsiders inside Garden... I can't make that decision alone. _

"I don't have the authority to allow them in the facility, but I'll consult with the Headmaster."

"Then do it as quickly as possible." replied the Mayor sharply.

"S´cuse me. Why do you want us to leave so bad?" asked Rinoa suddenly.

Squall folded his arms and glared at the raven-haired girl. This was exactly the reason he didn't want to bring her along in the first place. She just couldn't keep her thoughts to herself...

_Who cares why they don't want us here. They must have their reasons._

"We don't want military organizations in FH." replied the Mayor matter-o-factly "You rely on violence to solve your problems and that goes in direct defiance of our principles."

For the first time in all the conversation, the Mayor's wife spoke. Her clear, almost musical voice catching the SeeDs´ attention "Our society is pacifist. We believe that any problem can be settled by discussion and comprehension. If the parts involved reach a mutual understanding, then there's no need to fight."

The brunet raised an eyebrow.

_No argument there. Trite and dull as hell, though._

Squall understood the old couple's point, however the notion of settling everything by just talking seemed rather utopian. Sometimes, as he very well knew, the other part refuses to listen arguments and there's no other choice but to engage in battle...

"Violence only leads to more violence. That is why we want you to leave as soon as possible... especially since we already know about your conflict with Galbadia." said the Mayor shaking his head lightly.

Squall nodded and raised to his feet. "Let's go back to Garden." He said to his comrades before turning back to look at the older man and saying "We'll be out of here as soon as possible."

The house's door closed behind Irvine, the teenagers making their way back to the SeeD mobile base. "That was really unpleasant." commented Xu.

"Yeah, he was so rude!" added Rinoa frowning. She turned to look at the brunet SeeD walking a couple of feet in front of her and asked "Squall, why didn't you say anything to him?"

He shrugged and replied "You can't expect everyone to welcome us." A sudden noise made them halt half the way of the metallic corridor leading to FH´s main area. The SeeDs frowning as they listened intently, their eyes widening as recognition suddenly hit.

Gunfire.

"Galbadians!!" cried a male voice. John quickly approached the teenagers, the security officer sweating profusely. "Mayor Dobe!!"

The old man must have heard him, for he bolted out of his residence, his wife following close "What is going on?" demanded the Mayor.

"A galbadian fleet!" replied the terrified policeman "4 vessels, though more can be on their way... They have just docked near the train station and are armed big-time!"

"Let's not panic." said the Mayor shaking his head "Vinzer Deling and I are acquaintances, I'm sure we can settle this."

"Deling is dead." said Squall coldly. His right hand travelled to Revolver's hilt. "The galbadians are surely here because of us. We'll take care of them."

"NO!" snapped Dobe, his tone leaving no room for arguments. "I won't allow you to start a quarrel with the galbadians in _my _city." The Mayor turned around and started walking off "I'll go talk to them. And you SeeDs should return to your Garden and leave."

Just one thought crossed through Squall's mind as he watched the old man walk quickly towards the enemy's landing place.

_... He's dead._

The brunet SeeD turned to look at this comrades "Rinoa, go report this to the Headmaster. We'll need to contain the Galbadian attack."

"What will you do?" asked the raven-haired girl anxiously looking at him.

"The three of us will try to halt their advance. If they hadn't landed all their ships, the task will be a lot easier." replied Squall as he drew his gunblade, Xu and Irvine's weapons already in their hands.

Rinoa nodded "Ok. Be careful."

He returned the gesture and motioned his comrades forward.

ooo ooo

"What's with this people?" asked Davis as he glanced at the citizens his troops have subdued. "I can't believe they're not even fighting us back!" the Lieutenant took another breath of his cigar, a wide smirk forming on his face. "This is going to be easier than we thought."

"I guess you're right." replied Commander Okamoto folding his arms and glancing dispassionately at the scene. "But we better have it this way... wouldn't want Edea to get mad, not after what happened with the Missile Base."

"Definitely." The galbadian Lieutenant released another puff of cancerous smoke. "But they ruin all the fun."

Okamoto stared at his subordinate and shook his head slightly as he turned around and entered his vessel. "Just bring what we came to collect."

"Yes, sir." replied Davis saluting the Commander, his voice slightly muffled by the cigar he held between his teeth.

ooo ooo

"Hey, old geezer. Where do you think you're going?" asked a galbadian trooper, his standard-issued rifle pointing directly to the approaching man's chest.

"I'm Gustave Dobe, Mayor of FH." replied the older man calmly raising his hands to show he was indeed unarmed "I'd like to see whoever is leading this operation."

The small group of galbadians chuckled. One of them grabbing the Mayor's tropical shirt and dragging him a couple of feet "Well, well, well. Thanks for making our job even easier, old man."

"Yeah, we were about to go for you. Commander Okamoto is aching to have a word with ya." added another soldier smirking. "C'mon!" he said as he shoved the older man forwards.

ooo ooo

"Damn! They got him!" cursed Xu, the three SeeDs hidden in a nearby narrow alley. They had been tailing the Mayor, while checking out the galbadian´s man power within the city. So far, the western troops hadn't reached the town's north and west areas. Their dominion extended as far as the commercial district of the small town was concerned. The numerous shops and houses surrounding the area were now completely deserted.

For the look of it, Squall deduced they hadn't even noticed that Balamb Garden was docked here as well. Otherwise, the troops would already be moving towards the SeeD facility, not spreading through town in small groups and gathering all the townspeople inside the abandoned train station.

... But then, if the galbadians weren't here because of them, why attack a small town like FH?

What were they looking for?

Squall shook his head and focused on the problem at hand. Okay, if the galbadians didn't know SeeD was in town, they could use this factor in the battle. Although the SeeDs within the mobile facility were little, their fighting skills could easily take out half of the Galbadian troops. However, the SeeDs had to be quite careful with FH´s citizens, most of which were already hostages to Edea´s militia.

Squall's eyes narrowed as he detected a couple of SAM units guarding the path leading to the abandoned train station. His mind readying a Thunder spell as he motioned his comrades to follow. They'll try to sneak unnoticed, but if the machines´ sensors did detect them, then the SeeDs would have to dispose of them as quickly as possible.

"West area cleared, Sergeant." The voice of a galbadian trooper reached the SeeDs´ ears as they approached the facility.

"Any signs on the subject?"

"Negative, sir."

The galbadian officer nodded in understanding "Well, continue with the east wing."

"Yes, sir!" the trooper saluted his superior before turning around and quickly passing the SeeDs´ position. Fortunately, the soldier seemed too focused in his task, so he didn't notice the three teenagers barely concealed by a large pile of metallic junk.

"Subject?" asked Irvine raising an eyebrow "Then they're here because they're looking for someone?"

Noah's words returned to Squall's mind at neckbreaking speed.

"_One of my men established in Galbadia heard that the Sorceress and her new General are looking for her all over the continent. It's only a matter of time before Edea starts to look in the outer lands too."_

So, the galbadians were looking for Ellone here?

The brunet SeeD couldn't ponder these thoughts further as one of the SAMs turned its dragon-like head towards them and emitted a guttural growl.

They had been discovered.

Reacting quickly, Squall sent the machine the electric spell he'd been preparing. The SAM´s AI circuits damaged by the current. Irvine and Xu were already on the move, the second one dashing towards the monster and jumping gracefully behind it. The female SeeD dug her small but sharp weapons in the dragon-like machine's temple. Her magically-infused sais provoking a complete breakdown as the powerful electrical spell coursed through the SAM´s head.

Irvine brought Valiant up, the double barreled shotgun loaded with explosive ammo. The second monster growled and used its flamethrower against the cowboy. He rolled aside and squeezed the trigger, the grenade embedding itself in the wide weapon's cannon. Squall quickly cast a Water spell, the shifting magic enveloping the machine as the grenade exploded, thus reducing the blast to a minimum.

The SeeDs turned to each other and nodded to confirm everyone was alright before continuing their way. The train tracks brought them near a large abandoned building, its numerous windows were either broken or too dirty to see through them. From their vantage point of view, the SeeDs were able to see at least 20 soldiers inside the facility, guarding what appeared to be half the population of FH.

A familiar male voice reached their ears, making their attention drift from the hostages to their leader and his galbadian counterpart, both men standing in a wide platform just below the train station's building. Dobe was kneeling on the floor in front of a tall galbadian officer. The soldiers that had brought the elder to their leader still surrounded the older man, making it impossible for him to escape their clutches.

"But we don't know anything about this girl, Ellone!" protested the Mayor "I have already told you there's no one here with that name!"

The galbadian officer bit his cigar and leaned closer to the terrified man "You sure?"

"Y-Yeah! This is a small town and we keep the record of every foreigner that docks here. There hasn't been anyone with that name in here for months!"

"For months, uh?" muttered Davis incredulously and leaned even closer to the elder man, his tall frame looming over him. "When was the last time she set foot here?"

"... well, around 6 or 7 months... she came in a large, white ship..."

"I see." Davis released a puff of smoke in the Mayor's face and grinned "Well, thanks for the info, pops." He turned towards the soldiers and said "Get the technicians inside Okamoto´s vessel. Finish combing the east part of the town and then burn this place down."

"NO!" protested the Mayor immediately, his eyes wide at the casual way the galbadian had issued the order. "Please! I'm telling the truth!"

Davis chuckled and grabbed the old man's collar "It doesn't matter, pops. You see, it's Sorceress Edea's command to burn this little town to a crisp... and there's no way I'll make her mad." Grinning, the Lieutenant drew his handgun and slowly aimed at the Mayor's head "I think I'll start with you..."

A painful shriek made the officer drop Dobe, his helmet-covered eyes widening as he glanced at the three teens slaughtering half of his troops in less than five minutes. The Mayor saw his chance and ran for dear life, finding cover behind a pile of junk.

"What the hell?!" Davis muttered as the teens moved swiftly between the numerous galbadian soldiers, their weapons slashing, piercing and blowing off limbs in every direction. The train station's floor was covered in crimson.

"They're SeeDs!!" the Lieutenant panicked when realization finally hit. His shaking finger pushed a button on the right side of his helmet "Commander, we have a problem..."

ooo ooo

"SEEDS?!" roared Okamoto.

_Damn! Not again... fist the Missile base and now this!!_

His grip on the com device tightened as he hissed angrily "Stop them, Davis. I want them dead, you hear me? DEAD!!"

"_Yes, sir!"_ the Lieutenant's reply came quickly before the transmission was cut off.

_I won't allow these SeeDs to win this battle!! _ Okamoto turned to one of the soldiers inside his vessel and ordered. "Bring in the FH tech squad! I want them secured and on board this vessel A.S.A.P."

"Yes, sir!" the soldier saluted him before turning around and running off the chamber.

The Commander turned his attention towards a nearby panel, his frown deepening as he slammed a large blue button. "Get the Iron Clad on the move, right now!!" he yelled into the intercom as he connected his cabin with the storage in the lowest level of the vessel.

Even if their trip to FH in order to find Ellone had been unfruitful, the Commander refused to return to the Sorceress's presence with empty hands. The tech squad they had already selected was their number one priority right now.

A couple of days after the incident with the missiles and Balamb Garden's newfound ability, the rumor of the flying academy had reached Edea's ears. The Sorceress knew about the former Centra facilities' secret, but as Cid, she had ignored the device's function.

She sent her Knight and a small group of soldiers to look for the ancient technology, Seifer had finally found it deep within the Garden's wide west area's grounds. However, all the tech squad's intents to start up the machine failed and Edea had ordered the garrison appointed to look for Ellone in FH to bring a small group of technicians. Surely the talented engineers would be able to finally fix up Galbadia Garden's flying device.

If the pesky SeeDs were here, then that strongly emphasized the need to secure the technicians immediately. The Commander would be better off dead than if he returned to Galbadia without the Sorceress's request.

Okamoto´s frown deepened as a slight vibration shook the entire vessel. The Iron Clad was finally making its way towards the battlefield...

_I will not fail!_

ooo ooo

Squall slashed another trooper's chest, the brunet SeeD quickly turning around and bringing Revolver up to deflect a galbadian´s sword. His gunblade pushed the weak blade aside before slashing the trooper's throat, blood splashing everywhere.

Xu moved gracefully between the soldiers, her right sai pinning a rifle's cannon and directing towards the approaching galbadians just as the trooper squeezed the trigger. Her left sai piercing the soldier's heart before retracting both weapons quickly and turning around to meet another galbadian´s blade.

Valiant's gunshots echoed through the facility, Irvine squeezing the trigger repeatedly and showing why he was the top marksman in Galbadia Garden. He took a couple of steps backwards, his hands reloading the shotgun as fast as he could, while using a couple of fire spells to keep the galbadians at bay. His back touched another's, the cowboy quickly turning around and coming face to face with Xu.

"Hi, doll. How are you doing?" asked the sharpshooter smiling as he turned around again, Valiant cocking before releasing another round of bullets against the soldiers.

"Fine..." replied the female SeeD before rolling to the right, her right sai piercing a trooper's helmet. She found the cowboy's eyes and cocking her head a little to the side, she asked smiling "... and you?" Xu turned around again, her weapons making their way through another trooper's throat.

"Couldn't be better." said Irvine smirking, the cowboy ducking to avoid a galbadian´s blade before hitting his groin with Valiant's butt. The soldier howled in pain but was silenced when the cowboy raised, connecting a powerful uppercut to the trooper's jaw and knocking him instantly.

Squall brought Revolver up, the sharp blade slashing another galbadian, his upper torso separating from the rest of his body and falling back as his knees buckled before the remains fell forwards. The brunet SeeD spun, his gunblade colliding with another blade before the sound of a cocking gun made him jump forwards, his body turning in mid air and landing flawlessly behind the stunned galbadian. Squall grabbed the trooper just as a rain of bullets flew in his general direction and used him as a human shield. A powerful Fira spell hit the nearby enemy's lines, the painful shrieks from the burning soldiers making their companions shudder in fear.

Davis moved to the front lines as his troops started to fall back. "C'mon, you cowards!" he yelled "They're only 3 kids, for Hyne's sake!"

Suddenly, the floor started shaking, the sound of a humming engine growing louder. The galbadians turned to look as a gargantuan machine made its way clumsily towards them. Although the blue structure had been severely damaged, the Iron Clad still looked impressive...

... at least to the galbadians.

The troops started cheering at the sight of the huge MRV, figuring the SeeDs would be intimidated by the bulky machine. However, all their hopes died when the Iron Clad turned towards them, it's heavy machine gun rolling as a rain of bullets showered the now terrified galbadians...

ooo ooo

"What the hell do you think you're doing, idiots!!" yelled Okamoto enraged, the technicians in charge of the Iron Clad's remote control cringing at his outburst.

"I-I don't know what's going on, Commander!" replied one of the soldiers nervously, his shaky hands grabbing the remote as he stared in shock at the screen. "I didn't touch anything!"

"Well, DO SOMETHING!! That damn thing is decimating my troops!"

"A-Aye. aye, sir!" replied the soldier as he pressed the control's buttons frantically, his eyes shifting from the screen in front of him to the remote he held. His comrade checked the connections, maybe a cable was having a short circuit...

... but neither of the galbadians could find the problem's source. As long as they were concerned, the MRV was perfectly operational. The soldiers exchanged a confused look.

What the hell was going on?

ooo ooo

Most of the soldiers laid dead, their bloodied, bullet-pierced bodies carpeting the platform. Their comrades fled in blind panic towards their vessels. Davis had hid behind a pile of his trooper's corpses as their supposed reinforcement started attacking them, unable to do anything but stare in shock at the terrible massacre.

Squall's eyes narrowed as the gargantuan machine turned his way, the SeeD releasing a powerful Thundaga, hitting the Iron Clad's main weapon, the electric current enveloping the whole MRV´s front. The machine-gun rotated faster briefly before finally coming to a halt.

ooo ooo

"SHIT!" cursed the Galbadian Commander looking at the screen. That damn kid had deactivated the Iron Clad's weapon with just one hit!

"Sir! We have a bigger problem!"

Okamoto´s rolled his eyes and glared at the soldier sitting just behind him. "Now what?!"

"SeeD, sir." He said, his index finger pointing to the radar. Three small blue dots could be seen approaching the glabadian´s vessels "SeeD is coming!"

The Commander's eyes widened. He whirled immediately to look at the pilot "Get us out of here, now!" Okamoto then slammed the com´s button, his voice echoing through the whole vessel as he ordered the soldiers to get to the turrets in order to defend the battleship.

_I just hope I can quell Edea's rage with the tech squad I'm going to deliver her. No way I'm loosing those resources to SeeD too..._

ooo ooo

"There they are!" yelled Nida pointing towards the retreating galbadian vessels. "Don't let them escape!"

Dante and Joan nodded. The tree squads dispersed, Nida´s boat going left while Dante's took the right side and Joan's stayed in the middle.

The dark-haired SeeD turned to his squad. "Ready the rocket launchers!" he ordered, watching with slight amusement at Thelma's more than excited expression as she took the heavy weapon in her hands. The squad leader focused his energy ready to cast the Protect spell he had been readying to prevent any damage from the blast.

Out the corner of his eyes, he watched as Rinoa did the same, the raven-haired girl refusing to stay inside Garden and offering to help with the attack in anything she could. As long as the girl lacked junctions, the heavy rocket launchers were out of the question for her. Instead, Nida had opted to use her magic abilities to aid their defense.

"Ready." said Thelma as she aimed one of the enemy vessels, the rocket launcher's canon resting on her shoulder. Her two companions nodded in agreement as they mirrored her actions.

"FIRE!"

ooo ooo

The vessel rocked violently. Okamoto´s frown deepened as the radar indicated the SeeDs´ attack had barely missed them.

"Return fire!" the Commander ordered through the intercom "Use the torpedoes! Sink those bastards!!" he turned towards the pilot again "Whatever you do, don't decrease our speed. We-"

His words were cut off when a loud blast echoed through the whole vehicle. Okamoto´s gaze turned immediately to the screen, as one of his soldiers said what he had been dreading the most in the last minutes.

"We lost number two, sir."

ooo ooo

"One down!" yelled Dante happily, his blue gaze settled on the exploding vessel. A huge smoke column raised from its still burning remnants, the shrieks from its passengers reaching the SeeDs´ ears.

ooo ooo

The MRV shuddered slightly, the Thundaga spell causing the controls to go ballistic. Though the electrical magic had indeed damaged the machine-gun, the Iron Clad was still not defenseless. The gargantuan weapon started rolling, its heavy frame making small circles around the platform, crushing everything in its path and forcing the three remaining SeeDs to run and take cover.

"Xu! Get all the people out of the station!" ordered Squall. He didn't want to risk any civilian casualties and given the MRV´s present state, the SeeD was unable to predict its next move, thus making the battle even more dangerous than it already was.

The female SeeD nodded and turned around, making her way quickly towards the crowded building. Suddenly, the floor under her feet shuddered, the terrified screams of FH´s citizens reaching the three SeeDs´ ears as the huge MRV collided with one of the columns that supported the station.

"We gotta stop that thing before it crashes the foundations..." muttered Irvine, his normally cheerful face sporting a frown that could have suited Squall quite well.

The brunet SeeD focused his energy again, his mind calling on Diablos.

ooo ooo

The unearthly shriek of the Dark GF echoed through the open area. Rinoa's head turned in the direction of the sound, her dark eyes widening as she watched the Iron Clad colliding against various pillars and the shuddering it caused on the building above them. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to make out what was going on and her heart skipped a beat when she finally saw Xu´s distant figure helping the people of FH get out of the crumbling building.

"Nida!" she called the dark-haired SeeD "We have to go back, seems Squall's team is in trouble!" She pointed in their general direction "Look!"

The squad leader's eyes narrowed before turning back to the retreating galbadian vessels. He seemed to debate with himself briefly before finally saying "Fine." His right arm lifting as he cast a weak Fire spell – at Rinoa's suggestion – the sign to withdraw.

Thelma folded her arms and pouted slightly as she glanced at the fleeing galbadian boats. The fun had just started!

ooo ooo

The MRV halted its advance, its heavy frame vibrating as the Dark Guardian's magic concealed it inside its own shadow's perimeter while the SeeDs´ magic attacked the galbadian weapon trying to shut the damn thing off.

Finally, the machine shuddered violently twice, its gargantuan form retreating a little as Diablos´ spell receded. The Guardian was aware the Iron Clad's momentum would guide it exactly to the edge of the platform, meaning his order to contain the MRV and guide it far from the pillars had been accomplished.

The Dark Lord shrieked again returning to Squall's mind as the Iron Clad shuddered one more time and halted, almost half of its heavy frame suspended on thin air as it very slowly started leaning towards the cold waters below.

The brunet SeeD was about to cast another spell in order to end the battle, when he noticed the MRV´s rear door was opening. The damaged hinges making the task really difficult to accomplish.

He caught a flash of black... before the door opened completely.

Blue-grey eyes widened and he almost forgot his hold on Revolver, letting its sharp tip fall with a loud, clattering sound of metal on metal.

"Hi" Rosie's smiling face greeted the stunned gunblader from inside the Iron Clad.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author's note:_

_Phew! I finally finished it!! I was really worried how this chapter would develop since I have lots of things in mind for the upcoming chapters and really didn't know whether to establish some of the situations here or in later episodes. Also, I was debating myself whether or not to let a certain event happen (I'm not giving spoilers, sorry XD) and when it should happen..._

_Fortunately, a good night's sleep is always a great way to put things into perspective. :D_

_Well, hope you like this chapter and see ya on the next one!_

_Lots of hugs and kisses,_

_Celestial Rage_


	45. Chapter 45 My mind

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 45: My mind **

By CelestialRage

"Hi" Rosie's smiling face greeted the stunned gunblader from inside the Iron Clad. Zell's right arm extended behind her crouching frame, holding the heavy metallic door opened.

"Would you mind lending us a hand?" asked the martial artist smiling "This thing isn't as light as it looks."

The next few seconds were a complete blur for Squall, the brunet SeeD completely in shock at the sudden appearance of his comrades. He could only stare as the lost SeeDs slowly emerged from the huge MRV, Irvine helping Zell hold the door still.

Rosie smiled at the cowboy and turned her attention to the male SeeD standing a couple of meters away. The weariness from the last few days vanishing as she glanced at him, a wide smile spreading through her features at the confused look on his face.

It was really priceless!

As quickly as her tired limbs allowed, Rosie made her way towards Squall, the raven-haired SeeD's arms closing around the gunblader´s torso. The brunet man felt a rush of heat climb to his face as he stood there, completely stunned at the girl's actions.

Once more she had caught him completely off-balance.

Squall broke the embrace, his hands gripping her shoulders as he took a step backwards. He nodded, his usual solemn expression returning to his face and the slight blush adorning his cheeks finally receding.

Rosie nodded back and smiled shyly "I-I'm sorry. I did it again... "

Squall shook his head slightly "It's good to see you too." His statement making the raven-haired girl blush furiously and smile wider, her heart working at double pace as her brown eyes locked with his azure ones.

"Did you missed us too?" asked Zell smiling as he ruffled Squall's cooper hair playfully, gaining a murderous glare from the brunet SeeD and a disappointed inaudible sigh from Rosie as the little moment was abruptly interrupted.

"I'm relieved to see you..." replied Squall, folding his arms "... but don't push your luck."

The other SeeDs chuckled at his statement, relief and joy filling them as they were finally reunited again. With the news of Garden being safe and the arrival of Nida's squad, the celebration escalated, the teenagers chatting happily despite the weariness they felt.

Squall watched as his comrades laughed and talked enthusiastically with the new comers, his expression relaxing a little as his gaze wandered from one face to another. While Xu and Quistis seemed engrossed in a more serious conversation, Nida, Thelma, Zell, Rinoa, Selphie, Irvine and Rosie chuckled at the cowboy's comments on the SeeDs' outfit as they were still wearing the galbadian uniforms they used to infiltrate the Missile Base.

The brunet SeeD backed away from the group as he spotted the Mayor walking towards his people. "I'm sorry." said Squall as he caught up with the older man. "I had no choice but to fight them back."

After a minute, Dobe finally replied.

His coarse voice was barely audible and his tired eyes never lifted to meet the SeeD´s "I know." He shook his head slightly and silently resumed his walk.

The young man watched as the leader of FH made his way through the people reunited in the nearby streets, his frown deepening as he thought how devastated the Mayor must be to see so many corpses carpeting his once peaceful city.

As much as Squall had been trained as a soldier, he didn't want to _exist_ for war and although Dobe´s ideals seemed far from being achieved, the SeeD sincerely hoped that someday they'd come true.

ooo ooo

An hour later, Squall and Rosie were riding the elevator towards the first floor; both SeeDs had just finished delivering their respective reports to the Headmaster. Cid´s surprised face as the raven-haired girl entered his office clad in a galbadian uniform, definitely deserved a place in her 'memorable moments' top-ten.

Rosie had lost the time-honored game of 'rock-paper-scissors' and was designated as the official squad leader - though during the mission the role hadn't been occupied by anyone in particular -, thus gaining her the 'honor' of reporting all their ordeal to the Headmaster while the others went to their respective dorms to get the much needed sleep.

Resigned, the raven-haired explained how they used the Iron Clad´s strong armor and their protective magic to escape the massive explosion. The huge MRV was still operational when a galbadian squad showed up to check the damage, discovering the mobile weapon and transporting it through the nearby train station to Galbadia Garden. The SeeDs had been inside the Iron Claw for 4 days, only risking to get outside when they were positive there was no one around. At Quistis suggestion, they had decided to keep using the galbadian uniforms to slip unnoticed in their brief nocturnal wanderings, one of them always staying inside the Iron Clad to keep the door jammed so that none other than the SeeDs could enter the device.

Unnoticedly, Selphie had managed to deactivate the remote control program the galbadians had installed in the MRV, using their command on it against the soldiers when they were in the battle against Squall and Irvine. Unfortunately, the brunet SeeD´s Thundaga damaged the controls severely and they couldn't do anything to prevent the giant weapon from causing all the ruckus in FH.

Squall's report was shorter, focusing mainly on the fact that the galbadians were indeed looking for Ellone as Noah had told them the previous day. And regardless of whether they found her in FH or not, the troopers had strict orders to burn down the town, thus reducing the places where she could hide.

Cid nodded as the SeeDs concluded their reports. He dismissed them a moment later, his only order: to get some rest. Their respective squads had been under lots of pressure the last few days and had endured many hard battles.

The lift´s doors opened with a _ping_ and the teenagers stepped out. Squall turned his head to look at Rosie as her footsteps grew slower. The raven-haired girl's gaze wandered through the busy main hall, a warm smile on her face as she seemed to be taking in every detail of the beautiful facility and the students wandering around it.

"It's good to be back." She said sincerely as she turned to look at the young man.

Squall nodded slowly before the SeeDs continued their way. The teenagers reached the silent dorms´ hallway. Given the time of day, the rooms were deserted as most of the students were either in the cafeteria or hanging out in the quad, the only sounds were those of the seagulls flying by the docked facility.

Rosie reached her room's door and after searching her pockets, produced her keycard. Selphie still had the rest of her stuff inside the duffle bag they used during the mission, but thankfully the brunette girl had remembered handing her friend her dorm's key before leaving for her own. The raven-haired slid the blue card through the reader, a smile lightening her features as she remembered the way Squall had helped her with the door during her second day at Garden.

The lock opened with a _click_ and Rosie turned to look at the male SeeD standing in the opposite side of the hall. "I did it!" she said smiling as she opened the door and waved her card at him. She entered the room and leaned against the frame, her voice betraying the weariness she felt finally catching up with her after all the previous events "See ya later, Squall..."

He nodded and watched as her tired but still smiling face disappeared behind the door. Just then, a familiar male voice called his name, making his attention shift from Rosie´s door to Irvine´s approaching frame.

"Hey." greeted the cowboy smiling. "Did´ya hear? Cid´s just allowed the technicians inside Garden. Seems we´ll be able to move by tomorrow or the day after."

Squall nodded in acknowledgement as he turned around and used his keycard on the reader next to his dorm´s door.

"Anyway, I came to ask you a favor." Irvine said all of a sudden, catching Squall´s attention. No one had asked something out of him.

Ever.

The brunet turned his head to look at the cowboy, his frown deepening as he waited patiently for Irvine to make his request.

"Someone told me Selphie´s been working on building a stage for the Garden Festival, but with all the ruckus caused by the missiles and our collision against FH, all her hard work has been shattered to pieces. She hasn´t noticed yet, but... I´m sure it would break her heart when she does. So like, would you mind if I ask the technicians to do a little repair work?"

"Why ask me? You should see that with Cid." replied Squall shrugging

"I already asked him." replied the sharpshooter folding his arms "But he just told me to come and see if you got a problem with it."

The brunet shook his head. "Whatever." He turned and opened his dorm. "As long as it doesn´t slow down the work on the Garden, go ahead. Try not to ask for too much, though."

"Yeah, of course. Thanks!" replied the cowboy smiling widely. "I´ll get to it now and leave you to rest." Irvine tipped his hat before turning around and quickly making his way out of the dorm´s hallway.

Sparing a last glance at the room across his, Squall finally closed the door and laid down on his bed, not even minding on getting rid of his boots and jacket. A last thought flashing through his mind before sleep claimed him.

_They're finally home..._

ooo ooo

Her eyes craked open as the new day´s light entered her room through her still opened curtains. Rosie sighed and lifted her right arm, her hand scanning her headboard and finally grabbing the small, black alarm clock. Still rubbing her eyes, the raven-haired girl glanced at the device to discover it was already 8:30 the day after the incident in FH. A slight blush covered her cheeks as she realized she'd been sleeping 18 hours straight; the worst part was she was still clothed with the galbadian armor as she had virtually collapsed on the mattress as soon as she closed the door.

Rosie sat on her bed and placed the clock back on its place before stretching like a contented kitten. The song of a passing seagull caught her attention, her dark eyes turned to look at the sea beyond her window. She stood up and glanced at the glistening ocean.

_I wonder if we could go swimming today. A little spare time would be great! _

The thought brought a wide smile to her face as she imagined all her friends having some carefree fun for a change. She highly doubted Squall would be in the picture – at least, on his own free will – however, she vowed to do whatever was necessary to at least have him around them for a while...

... especially around herself.

Rosie was decided to make up for all the time she was away. After all, Rinoa had already have 4 days to be with him and the raven-haired SeeD feared she had the upper hand already...

Her stomach, however, had different plans for the first morning activities. Sighing, the raven-haired girl turned around and entered the bathroom, deciding to take a shower and finally take off the smelly galbadian uniform before visiting the cafeteria.

ooo ooo

Squall stepped out of the Training Center. The SeeD glanced around at the students walking through the hall, the morning activities finally starting at Garden. The young man made his way towards the dorm section to continue his normal daily routine.

He'd been up since 7 a.m., changing in his training clothes and spending the next 2 hours working out in his favorite spot inside the 'monster's lair'. Afterwards, the SeeD always returned to his dorm, took a shower and went to the cafeteria to retrieve his breakfast. This time, however, a raven-haired obstacle stood between him and his dorm.

"Hey!" greeted Rinoa smiling.

Squall nodded back.

"Yes?" he asked when she remained silent.

"Well, I just wanted to say you really surprised me yesterday." The brunet SeeD´s head cocked to the side, a confused look on his face at his client's statement, causing the raven-haired girl to smile wider "Your expression was different, more relaxed... even happy."

"You're exaggerating." replied Squall shaking his head a little.

"Really?" she asked leaning forwards a little, her hands resting on her back as she seemed to be inspecting him like she would a butterfly's colorful pattern.

"Yeah." He replied shrugging "They were my responsibility..."

The sound of the door across the hallway opening, made both teenagers turn to face Rosie. The hall went silent for a few seconds as the three of them stared at each other, the raven-haired SeeD completely taken aback by the scene.

"Uhm... morning" muttered Rosie finally breaking the heavy atmosphere, a very small smile showing on her face as she looked at the other two teenagers. The sight before her making her heart ache again, the raven-haired SeeD turned to close her door and settle herself so they didn't notice the hurt in her eyes.

"Morning!" replied Rinoa smiling "Rosie, don't you think Squall's expression yesterday was really sweet?"

The female SeeD turned to look at the young man and nodded a little "Yeah, it was." she muttered, her small forced smile becoming a real one as she remembered the previous day's events.

"See? I told you!" beamed Rinoa.

Squall folded his arms and turned his head to the side "Whatever."

"I-I'm going to grab some breakfast..." said Rosie suddenly changing the topic radically and signaling to the end of hallway. She felt quite dumb as the other teenagers looked at her, but the only thought on her mind right now was to get out of there as soon as possible. "Wanna join me?" she asked as an afterthought.

Squall nodded, figuring that he could jump a step in his routine as his client seemed to be reluctant on letting him through. Rosie sighed inaudibly as Rinoa joined them too, the raven-haired SeeD mentally counting to ten and trying to settle down as jealousy was getting the best of her.

ooo ooo

Half an hour later, Squall, Rinoa and Irvine watched in awe as the other 4 SeeDs ate their respective breakfasts with enthusiasm... way too much enthusiasm.

Rosie turned to look at the brunet man sitting at her right and smiled shyly. "We only had those ugly galbadian rations for 4 days." she said excusing herself and their friends.

"Yeah, if I ever see one of those things again, I'll scream!" added Selphie between bites of her chicken sandwich.

Zell sighed contently and leaned back on his chair, patting his bulged stomach as he finished what must have been his 30th hotdog. "Man, how do those soldiers manage to fight with only that crap to eat?" he said before a huge belch left his mouth, gaining the annoyed looks not only from his friends, but also from the other cafeteria's occupants.

"Thanks for killing my appetite, Zell..." muttered Rosie setting aside her scrambled eggs´ remains and taking a sip of her orange juice instead.

"Sorry." replied the martial artist with a shy, apologetic smile.

"So, what's the plan for today, guys?" asked Selphie happily munching her chocolate-filled croissant.

"We can go hang out in FH." suggested Irvine, his right arm leaning casually on the tiny SeeD´s chair. Rosie smirked as she noticed Selphie didn't say anything to the cowboy, a very slight blush covering her cheeks instead. "Yesterday's afternoon, Cid announced in the PA system that the Mayor had allowed the students to wander the city under the condition that they didn't engage in any more fights..."

"Poor people..." muttered Quistis sipping her coffee "... first Garden collapses with their town and then the galbadians take them hostages. Good thing they didn't kill anybody."

"But they took some technicians with them." said Rinoa worriedly "Xu told me the mayor informed Cid that was the reason Garden's repairs are going to take more time than expected."

Squall's frown deepened as he took another bite of his sausage biscuit, his right hand raising to rest on his forehead.

_Why would the galbadians want to kidnap FH technicians? _

_And why did the Sorceress wants to get her hold on Ellone? Is it because of her ability to let others witness the past?_

"Uh-oh! Squall is thinking too much again." Rosie's amused voice made him return from his inner monologue to the smiling faces of his comrades. She smiled warmly and continued "Hey, chill up, okay?" her hand rested on his left arm for a second, giving him a gentle squeeze before returning to her lap. "We can't do anything about it now, but everything will work out in the end."

_How can she be so sure?_

The other 4 SeeDs exchanged a knowing look that didn't go unnoticed by Rinoa, however, before she had the chance to ask about it, Rosie spoke again.

"Besides, today we're going to have a little fun for a change. I think all of us need to have a break from all the fighting..." she smiled wider and tapped his forehead before he could even move to prevent it "... and in your case, from all the thinking."

Squall stood up and grabbed his tray "Whatever"

"So you don't want to go swimming with us today?" asked Rosie mirroring his actions and cutting off his escape route. She shrugged and said "Too bad. Well, I guess you could go back to your room and bore to death..." she smiled inwardly as his eyes narrowed "... or you could come with us and get your mind off all the problems for a while."

The raven-haired girl shook her head slightly and continued "Squall, none of us is asking you to stop worrying. I mean, we all do. But right now, we can't do anything until Garden is repaired and in conditions of setting sail again and worrying alone is not going to do any good to anyone... especially you." The SeeDs remained silent for what seemed an eternity, Rosie cocking her head to the side slightly and smiling as she asked "So... you coming or not?"

Rinoa smiled too "Yeah, Squall, come with us. It's going to be fun."

"C'mon, Squall! Pretty pleeasee!" squealed Selphie glancing at the frowning SeeD with a hopeful look on her face.

"Yeah, pal. C'mon!"

"... Fine." muttered Squall rolling his eyes, annoyed by his comrades´ insistence and cringing inwardly at their subsequent cheering.

ooo ooo

After retrieving their respective swimsuits and changing into more comfortable clothes, the 7 teenagers stepped out of the SeeD facility, the loud sound of working machines catching their attention.

"Wow! I didn't expect all this heavy machinery." commented Irvine as he glanced at the FH technicians´ equipment.

"How else are they going to repair it?" asked Squall folding his arms and glancing at the cowboy "With nails and hammers?" His statement gaining the chuckles of the other SeeDs.

"Hey, this isn't my department." said Irvine shrugging.

"Then what is it?" asked Selphie raising a thin eyebrow.

"Guns and women, of course." replied the sharpshooter flashing her his most charming smile. Irvine's gesture grew wider as he was rewarded by the tiny brunette's blushing face.

"Hey, ya guys coming or what?" Zell's call made the two realize their friends had already left them behind. Selphie hurriedly catching up with Rosie who gave her a thumbs up, much to the other girl's annoyance as the cowboy's chuckle could be heard behind them.

The teens arrived at the commercial district where many other students were already there buying souvenirs to remember their trip to FH; though Rosie highly doubted any of her friends would need a typical item from the place to remind them of their experiences in the quiet town.

The SeeDs walked through the busy street, detouring just as they were about to reach the abandoned train station area, which – to the teens´ astonishment – had been barricaded by a pile of junk. Apparently, the citizens didn't want to remember the previous day's incidents.

And who could blame them?

Selphie jumped excitedly as they finally reached the furthest dock. The warm summer breeze blew gently in the teenagers´ direction, carrying the nearby seagulls' song along with the low humming from the water-processing towers.

Rosie sighed contently as she glanced around her.

Irvine and Zell had already got ridden of their clothes, both boys running to the dock's end before jumping and splashing soundly on the water. A smiling Quistis shook her head at the male SeeDs´ antics, while Rinoa and Selphie removed their footwear and tested the water's temperature before venturing inside the ocean. Squall was leaning against a nearby wall, his azure gaze settled on nothing in particular as he was lost in thought again.

The raven-haired SeeD frowned, her mind racing to find the best way to get the young man to have a little fun and keep his mind off business. Her gaze settled on a far buoy, a wicked smile forming on her face as a sudden idea flashed through her mind.

She followed Irvine and Zell´s example, discarding her white shorts and light blue over-sized sweater and leaving them near the other teens´ clothes. She readjusted the knot behind her neck that held her azure swimsuit in place and took a deep breath before starting her way towards the brunette young man.

"Hey!" Squall´s eyes focused as his silent musing was interrupted, finding a very smiling Rosie approaching from his right side. She leaned beside him against the wall and looked at the ocean beyond "It´s a nice day, isn´t it?"

He glanced at her for a couple of seconds more before slowly turning his head to the front and nodding. He had to admit the weather was quite nice and although his comrades seemed to be having a lot of fun – giving the amount of laughter and splashes reaching his ears – it did little to soothe his troubled mind. His train of thought led him to the girl standing at his right and he couldn´t help but wonder why she wasn´t enjoying herself with the rest of the teenagers. Rosie was as cheerful as Selphie – though her energy was a lot more controlled than the tiny brunette´s – and she was always one for fun...

"What´s on your mind?" her voice interrupted his thoughts again.

Squall shrugged "Nothing."

She giggled, gaining his annoyed stare "Yeah, sure. Like _I_ would believe that one!"

"Whatever"

Controlling her laughter, the raven-haired girl dislodged herself from the wall and stood direcly in front of him. "I challenge you." she said all of a sudden, cathching him off-guard again.

Squall raised an eyebrow and remained silent. What could this girl possibly challenge him for? Curiosity started growing inside him as she followed his example, a silent atmosphere enveloping the two teenagers for almost a minute until Squall couldn´t wait any longer and finally asked "Why?"

Rosie´s smile widened as she got a response from the normally stoic young man. Shrugging she replied "Well, since the others..." she turned to look at her friends above her shoulder "... seem to be engrosed in an acquatic battle, which I´m sure Irvine and Zell started... " her dark gaze returned to his face "... and you´re standing here thinking again, I´ve decided to challenge you." She turned a little to her left and pointed at the far buoy she´d spotted earlier "I bet you a 100 gil I can swim to that buoy and back here faster than you can."

"I´ll take your word for it." Squall replied folding his arms.

"Now, what´s the fun in that?" complained Rosie, placing her hands on her hips. "C´mon, you´re the only one I consider a real challenge!" she smirked and crossed her arms over her chest "Besides, it´s going to really bust my ego once I get back here _waaay_ before you." She leaned a little forward and tilted her head to the right slightly "So, what do you say? You up for the challenge, Mr. Leonhart?"

Squall glanced at her still smirking face and then to the ocean beyond, focusing briefly on the buoy before walking away from the wall.

Rosie´s smirk faded as he walked pass her. Her hopes shattering like glass as did her plan, one she thought could _actually_ work. She´d appealed to his pride, rather than his more teenager side, one that – despite what others say – she knew existed deep inside him. It was just a matter of making it surface... but of course, that was the real challenge.

His heavy footsteps stopped, making her turn around.

"A 100 gil, uh?" said Squall, his back facing her but his head turned to the side enough so he could watch her out the corner of his eyes.

Rosie´s smile returned "Yeah." She shrugged "But if you want to, we can double the bet."

He removed his trademark black leather jacket "Only if you don´t mind losing 200 gil."

The raven-haired snorted "Like I´m going to!" She approached Squall, stopping just a couple of steps away from him and folding her arms again "_You_ are the one that should worry."

"Whatever." The young man discarded the rest of his clothes, his black and grey boxer-style swimsuit catching Rosie´s eye and making her blush a little She quickly walked pass him towards the end of the docks, trying to settle her racing heart and make the warmth in her cheeks receed.

She felt him stop at her right side. Taking a deep breath, Rosie turned to look at the taller man and asked "Uhm... Ready?"

He blinked once.

The raven-haired nodded "Okay, then." She turned her attention forwards, settling her gaze on the far buoy as she took her 'ready' stance. Her arms went forwards, her palms rigid so she could enter the water below like an arrow through thin air. "On three."

"One..." their bodies tensed, Squall´s eyes narrowing as he focused on the goal.

"Two..." Rosie´s heart beating at double pace.

ooo ooo

Selphie entered the water with a loud splash, the strong hand gripping her left ankle finally releasing her. The tiny brunette surfaced, gasping for air as she tried to set aside her dripping, light copper hair from her eyes.

"IRVINE!" roared Selphie as her emerald gaze focused on the smiling cowboy floating a couple of feet from her.

A heartly chuckle behind them was suddenly replaced by a loud yelp and a splash as Zell followed the sharpshooter´s example and pulled Rinoa inside the water with them.

"You guys are SO dead!!" screamed the raven-haired girl as she and Selphie started swimming after them.

Quistis chuckled at the scene from her safe place on the shore. The girls had the upper hand as Selphie used her water magic, manipulating it to create a large bubble just over Irvine´s head. As the cowboy was about to grab her so he could sink her again, the brunette girl released her spell, drenching the astonished sharpshooter more than he already was. His long reddish-brown hair plastering to his face and making him resemble a wet Collie.

The blonde girl´s laughter reached the wrestlers´ ears, all of them turning from the ex-instructor´s happy face to look at each other. Irvine smiled wickedly before saluting Selphie and submerging. Seconds later, Quistis laughter was replaced by a loud splashing sound and the subsecuent chuckles from the other teens at the blonde SeeD´s astonished expression.

Controlling her laughter a little, Selphie glanced around, finally finding Rosie, who was leaning against a wall next to Squall. The brunette girl smiled as her friend positioned herself in front of the young man and continued her conversation with him. Selphie smirked when Rosie turned to look at them over her shoulder briefly before returning her gaze to Squall. The tiny SeeD was about to yell something at her when suddenly, a magically generated bubble snapped above her, drenching her once more and making her attention shift from the only teenagers still dry to the smiling cowboy behind her.

She smiled back, her mind already forming a spell.

The battle continued.

Until...

ooo ooo

"THREE!"

Rosie entered the water, her eyes closing briefly as she made contact with the liquid surface. Her legs propelled her forwards, her face emerging from the warm ocean as her arms immediately started moving, impeling her towards the goal.

The loud splashing Squall and herself made muffled slightly the cheers from her friends as they had abandoned their own games, focusing their attention on the race in process.

Her limbs drove her forwards as quickly as they could, the raven-haired girl´s gaze switching between Squall and the nearing buoy. She could see his narrowed eyes, could almost sense his determination as he moved as swiftly as Leviathan would through the warm ocean's water.

Their hands extended and touched the buoy´s large bell almost in unison, the loud tolling echoing through the nearby area. Squall dived and turned quickly around, propelling himself like a torpedo, while Rosie halted and braced backwards before turning her torso and regaining her previous posture and rythm.

The cheers increased as they quickly covered the last meters. The splashing grew louder, both teenagers´s gazes focused entirely on the approaching dock.

2 meters...

Rosie was amazed of the speed she had gained thanks to her junctions. Though this wasn´t by any means an advantage over her adversary, Squall was far stronger and faster than her and it was taking all her energy just to keep up with his pace.

1 meter...

Out the corner of her eyes, she could see Squall bolt forwards. The brunet SeeD was quickly gaining terrain over her. Rosie clenched her teeth as she focused the last energy she had left to try and regain her position.

Half a meter...

_One more brace!_ Thought the raven-haired frantically as she shot her right arm to the front in an attempt to touch the dock´s wooden surface first.

But it was too late.

Squall had beaten her for a whole hand. The cheers from Zell and Irvine increased in volume as the other male SeeD in the group had won the race.

"Awww! Bummer!" Selphie´s pouting voice reached Rosie´s ears, making her giggle slightly as she turned to look at her already approaching friends. Panting a little, the raven-haired girl grabbed the dock´s surface for support as her tired legs refused to move any longer without a proper rest first.

The sound of Squall´s body leaving the water beside her, made Rosie´s attention switch again. The brunet hoisted himself effortlessly on the dock´s woodened end, sitting down and leaning enough so he could glance at the raven-haired girl´s face from his position.

"Guess you owe me 200 gil."

Rosie shrugged and smiled as she looked upwards at him.

Yeah, he´d won this battle...

... but she´d won the war.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author's note:_

_Hi again! Wow, that's two chapters in less than a week Now I'm impressed!_

_Anyway, hope you like this chap, and I really hope it isn't too corny. As I told Revir (what would I do without you, girl?) I tend to be too corny sometimes... just sometimes? Well, okay, I'm a corny, hopeless romantic, okay?_

_Remember all comments, candies, credit cards, indecent photos and cash are welcome, okay?_

_Lots of love,_

_Celestial Rage_


	46. Chapter 46 Burden and Friendship

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 46: Burden and friendship **

By CelestialRage

Rosie's steps echoed through the hallway leading to the dorms. It was 8:30 in the morning and most of the students were either in the cafeteria or had already gone to enjoy the fresh summer morning in FH´s docks.

The raven-haired smiled as she recalled the previous day's events. Who would have thought Squall would actually take up her challenge? He had really caught her by surprise - a rather joyful one, by the way – and she couldn't help but fall in love with him even more for that. Squall was so unpredictable, she never could be sure how he would react to anything, but slowly she was starting to understand some aspects of his complicated persona.

Rosie's smile widened.

Yeah, she liked him even before coming to his world, but the time she had been able to spend at his side had taught her just how precious he was. Squall could be cold-hearted and close-minded, but he was also a very caring person. She knew that fact from her playing the game, but now that she was here experiencing it all, she couldn't help but agree. Rosie had seen the emotions reflecting in his clear blue eyes and knew without a doubt that – despite what most students at Garden believed – he had a heart beneath the cold ice layer that surrounded his exterior. His eyes could betray his stoic stance in a second if one took enough time to study them. Not that she had grown to be an 'expert Squall observer' as Quistis used to label herself sometimes in the game, but she was already halfway in discovering the truth behind the puzzle that was Squall Leonhart.

The raven-haired girl glanced around the main hall, trying to spot someone she knew, but it seemed her friends had vanished. Sighing, she turned to the right and started her way towards the cafeteria.

_My friends... _

Irvine, Selphie, Zell and Quistis... She was so glad none of the 4 SeeDs had backed away from her as soon as she told them the truth about her 'origins'. True, the teenagers had their doubts at first... but who could blame them? When one of your friends tells you she's from another dimension and then start talking about things only you could possibly know, well, of course it could freak you out a little...

Selphie had questioned her about the 'wild guess' she did in the Missile Base and although Rosie had tried to postpone it, the brunette girl had been too insistent. Finally, the raven-haired obliged and told them exactly what she had told Irvine. However, as long as it wasn't her place to tell them about their time in the orphanage – she considered Irvine deserved to be the one to tell them, since he was part of their childhood gang – Rosie opted for giving the little details she had known during the game about their personal lives.

_Quistis went to Balamb Garden at the age of 10, apparently things hadn't worked out in her foster home. _

_Zell's grandfather was in the military, he was the teen's pride and he really looked up to him. That was the primary reason he'd entered Garden._

_Selphie had a teddy bear named Mr. Bear, which she had given to a little boy before traveling to Balamb Garden. She had first junctioned a GF when she was 12, during an outdoor training session._

Rosie stifled a chuckle as she remembered the three SeeDs' shocked faces after she had told them those facts. Although they believed her, the raven-haired girl could still detect a hint of uncertainty and fear in Quistis. Zell and Selphie – especially the last one – had welcomed Rosie's knowledge with open arms, both teenagers considering it a great gift that could actually help them in later situations, as much as it had practically saved their lives during the whole incident in the Missile Base.

The raven-haired frowned as she stepped into the cafeteria. Her thoughts completely lost in the now destroyed Galbadian facility and all the events that took place there.

_Yeah, we were able to stop the missiles launched for Trabia... but I don't think Edea will let things stay like this._

_What will she do now?_

_Is she already in her way towards Balamb?_

_Many things have changed. I wonder how they will affect later events..._

"Hey, Rosie!" her musing was cut-off by a very familiar voice. Rosie's gaze turned to the sound's source finding Selphie, Zell and Irvine sitting in a table a couple of meters from where she was standing.

"Morning, guys" greeted the raven-haired as she approached her friends.

"Morning!" chirped Selphie hugging her before sitting again. "I was about to wake you up. We have a lot of work in the Quad"

"The Quad?" Rosie asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah! The FH technicians are helping us out with the stage and now that we're back we have to resume our duties with the Garden Festival, remember?"

"If I remember correctly..." the raven-haired said smirking "... I'm not even in the committee, Selph."

The brunette girl was unphazed by her friend's comment and replied shrugging "Well, if I remember correctly, you actually volunteered before we left for Timber, Rosie."

Rosie opened her mouth to reply, but when she couldn't come with anything to refute that argument, she opted to fold her arms and pout.

"And the point goes for Selphie, ladies and gentlemen!" said Zell in his best announcer voice, followed by laughter from the other 2 teens in the table.

"Thanks for the support, Zell." frowning, Rosie took the martial artist's plate and shoved one of his precious hot-dogs in his mouth "Here, do something useful."

Three familiar chimes echoed through the facility, catching the teens´ attention and making them drop their conversation in order to hear whatever Cid was about to announce them.

ooo ooo

"Did you want to see me, sir?" asked Squall as he stepped inside the Headmaster's office. He had just finished his morning routine and was walking down the main hall back to his dorm when Xu intercepted him.

Apparently, Cid wanted to have a meeting with him. Why? It was anyone's guess. Squall had just shrugged and told Xu he'll be up in the older man's office as soon as he got cleaned up. So here he was, just 15 minutes past 8 o'clock in the morning.

Cid turned his attention from the working technicians to the brunet teenager "Yeah, son. Come in, please." Squall obliged and stood at attention in front of his superior. "As you can see the repairs in Garden's external structure are almost complete, the navigation system however will take another day to be fully operational. We'll be finally able to set sail tomorrow morning."

Squall nodded. Why was Cid informing him of the Garden's issues? He had no clue... but somehow he didn't like it.

Oblivion to the teenager's musing, the Headmaster continued "That's why I called you, Squall. Your report on the Galbadian activity in FH is quite concerning... " He frowned, sighing visibly before saying "Edea is determined to find Ellone, not minding what she has to destroy in order to accomplish it. She'll burn everything in her path if necesary and we can't allow that to happen. I'm afraid SeeD's true mission has started and we can't wait any longer."

_So he's getting official... about damn time if you ask me._

Squall nodded and remained silent, a sense of foreboding invading him as Cid locked his gaze with his and said "However, we can't go unprepared into this quest. I'm certain we'll encounter Edea and the Galbadian army some times before we can actually stop her. That's why we need to make some changes in Garden's internal structure."

"Changes?" asked Squall raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. SeeD needs a new leader." Cid smiled slightly and shook his head "I'm too old to lead you into battle."

"I'm sure Xu can do that, she-"

The Headmaster interrupted the young man's words "No. Although she's an extraordinary SeeD, I need her to tend to other duties. Besides, we need someone who – aside from being an excellent SeeD - has first hand experience in battling Edea."

Squall's azure eyes narrowed.

_He can't be implying…_

"Squall, you have the skills and knowledge necessary to lead this Garden…"

ooo ooo

Half an hour had already passed since Cid had announced Squall's new leadership position on the PDA system. The few minutes following the Headmaster's notice were a blur for the brunet, anger and shock were running through his entire body. He remembered loosing his composure, especially when Cid implied that it was his _fate_ to lead the battle against the Sorceress.

Fate…

Squall didn't believe in such a thing. He didn't like the idea of not controlling his own destiny, the mere concept of a life already predestined was something that made his gut twitch.

Now, laying on his bed, Squall found himself in another cross road in his life. He had never wanted to be in command, it was way too much responsibility. Not that he couldn't handle the pressure or make an accurate decision, but he wasn't too fond of taking care of others. He didn't know how to handle people… Rosie had made that point very clear in that forest almost two weeks ago.

Squall's frown deepened.

He'd always been a loner, as far back as he could remember he had always been his own one man army...

… Until this whole Sorceress ordeal started. Until he'd been forced to work with others in order to survive. But even still, the squad had been small. Not the entire Garden population, for Hyne´s sake!

Squall shook his head and shifted on the mattress. He didn't mind fighting the Sorceress, but being in command was a completely different thing. What if he screwed up? He was a rookie SeeD and now Cid expected him to be the leader of Garden? He knew he'd have to battle the Sorceress, it was inevitable as long as he was a member of SeeD….

Squall froze.

_A member of SeeD…_

_ … and if I quit?_

The brunet shook his head to dismiss the notion. Quit? Never. SeeD was the only thing he had, the only world he knew…

_Fine, then. _

He'll just have to do as Cid told him: command the Garden and kill the Sorceress. He didn't have to like it though, but he better do it quick and finish with this whole 'fated leader' nonsense as soon as possible.

ooo ooo

"Hey, everyone!" Irvine said smiling at his friends.

As soon as the trademark PDA system's chimes died down, Selphie had bolted from her place, deciding to go look for Quistis and Rinoa. A couple of hours later, the 6 teenagers were standing right in front of the Mayor's house, where Selphie's 'dream stage' – as she had labeled it – was receiving the final touches from several engineers. Several musical instruments were scattered near a large black piano, its shiny, ebony surface covered with music sheets and books.

"What's all that stuff for?" asked Zell raising an eyebrow.

"I'll let our producer to do the explaining. Go ahead, doll." said the cowboy motioning to Selphie and tilting his hat at the tiny girl.

The brunette smiled at him and then turned her attention to her friends "Well, as you all know the Garden Festival is later this year. But, we have a very especial event going on today as a celebration for Squall's recent promotion."

"Sounds cool!" replied Rinoa smiling. "What do you have in mind, Selphie?"

"Well… Irvine, Rosie and I have been discussing about it aaanddd… we're going to hold out a concert!"

"Sounds like fun." replied Quistis "And I bet Squall could use the distraction."

"That's mainly why we're doing this." said Rosie, looking at the blonde ex-instructor "We know he must be really stressed with the news." She shrugged and smiled "Who knows, maybe we'll be able to make him loosen up a bit with a little music."

"Well, they say even beasts react to music, right?" said Zell grinning "I can't imagine why Squall wouldn't too." His words inciting chuckles from the other teenagers.

"Anyway, who's going to perform?" asked Rinoa finally controlling her laughter.

Selphie's smile widened as she picked up an electric guitar. "Us."

"What?" asked Quistis shocked "You're kidding, right?" when the brunette girl shook her head, the blonde SeeD panicked "Wait, Selphie. You can't expect us to play! I have no musical talent whatsoever!"

"Really?" asked Rinoa playfully "I gotta see this, then."

Quistis mock pouted "Oh, jajaja. Very funny." She folded her arms and continued "You can count me out."

"Aw! C'mon Quisty!" said Rosie smiling "It's going to be fun!"

"Yeah, doll. And the piece is really easy to learn and perform." added Irvine, grabbing a couple of musical sheets from the large piano's surface. "Besides, you happen to be with at least 2 excellent musicians, who would gladly give you a hand."

"Yeah, Irvine and I can play pretty good." said Selphie, her hands moving swiftly through the guitar's cords, producing a quick but beautiful melody.

"Wow" exclaimed Rosie "Never thought you were actually this good."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence." replied the brunette girl. She smiled and turned to look at the cowboy "Your turn. Show them, Irvy."

The cowboy's cheeks turned a slight tint of pink as he heard the once familiar pet name leaving the girl's lips again. "As you say, darling" He handed Rosie the music sheets he'd been holding and grabbed the sax resting near the piano. His hands traveled the length of the instrument, playing a small, soft jazz tune.

"You do have talent!" said Quistis clapping as the final notes died down.

"Aside from hitting on everything that wears a skirt" added Rinoa smirking.

"Yeah, he's a chest of wonders, isn't he?" said Rosie smiling playfully.

"Well, thank you, ladies." replied the cowboy bowing slightly as he took off his trademark hat.

Selphie smiled and said "We need 2 more instruments to be able to perform the song properly… plus the vocal, of course."

"We're missing the piano and bass scores." said Rosie looking at the musical sheets Irvine handed her.

"I want the bass!" exclaimed Zell raising his hands and bolting towards the instrument before Quistis could even start protesting. The martial artist turned to look at the other blonde in the group and grinned "Sorry, Quistis but it's easier to play than the piano."

The ex-instructor sighed in defeat. "Okay, okay… but I rather play the piano than sing."

"Don't worry about that." said Selphie smiling "Rinoa is going to take care of the vocal part."

"Me?" asked the raven-haired shocked.

"Yeah. No one knows this song better than you." said Rosie extending a music sheet to the other raven-haired girl "Check out the title."

"… my mother's song…." muttered Rinoa, her voice barely above a whisper.

Rosie nodded "See? You'll do it okay. Your mom was a great singer and I'm sure at least some of her talent was passed on to you." Her smile transformed into a smirk "Besides, you really don't want to hear _**me**_ sing... I'm worst than those folks in American Idol!"

"Ameri- what?" asked Rinoa raising a fine eyebrow.

"Nevermind." replied Rosie slapping her forehead. "The point is that I can't keep with the melody's tone, kay?"

"So what are _you_ going to do?" asked Zell, eyeing the raven-haired SeeD.

Selphie smiled widely "Well, this is for Squall, right? Meaning, we need someone who can drag him here." she looked at Rosie and gave her a wink.

ooo ooo

Squall finished polishing his gunblade, placing it back inside its black suitcase. He´d spent most of the day inside his dorm, not really in the mood to see anyone, even skipping meal time just he wouldn´t run into his comrades in the cafeteria.

Looking at the clock on his desk, he wasn´t surprised to see it was just 20:00 hours. Time really passed slowly whenever he did nothing more but thinking. His mind had been running around in circles on the latest events and despite he wanted to do nothing more than just sleeping the day off, his troubled thoughts wouldn´t allow him the rest.

Hyne, was he bored!

A knock on his door made his frown deepen. Closing his gunblade´s case, Squall turned around and walked to the door. When it opened, he was more than surprised to see a smiling Rosie standing just outside his quarters. Squall´s astonishment, however, didn´t came from the fact the raven-haired had actually knocked at his door, but on what she was wearing when she did.

Instead of her habitual jean shorts and t-shirt, she was wearing a light blue and white gown that glided nicely around her body. The skirt was a little above her knee, not quite as short as Rinoa´s had been back at the Inauguration Ball, while her blue lace shoes made her seem a little bit higher than she really was. Her ebony hair was pulled up in a bun, loose strands highlighting her face´s features.

"Hi." She said smiling softly, cocking her head to the side while keeping her eyes locked on his.

Dumfounded, he could only nod back.

ooo ooo

Her heart was pounding fast inside her chest and it took all she had not to pass out in the middle of the hallway. She was so damn nervous!

_Okay, Rosie easy... it´s just a guy!_

_No, he´s SQUALL we´re talking about here, remember? Not just a 'guy'_

She paced a little in front of his dorm, fiddling with her hands as she tried to settle herself. She´d agreed with Selphie she´ll get Squall down to the Mayor´s house. Rinoa, of course, had tried to talk her way in, but the brunette girl had finally convinced her they needed her to play the song properly. Rosie smiled when Selphie used the "You wouldn´t want your mom´s song to play out terrible, would you?" tactic on the other raven-haired girl.

It was a low blow, but hey! In love and war...

And this was both.

At least for Rosie, it was. There was no way she would let her chance to slip away from her that easily. How many girls could actually be transported to other worlds and have a chance to win the heart of the man they loved and couldn´t possibly get to know under 'normal' circumstances? None that she knew about... well, except for herself.

And now, she was here. Pacing like a caged lion in front of his door, trying to make up her mind on how she´s going to ask him to go to the concert with her. Even when she´d pulled the brave stunt of cutting off his path back in the cafeteria and asking him to join them on their little trip to FH the previous day, she had the physical and moral support of her friends. This time, she was alone and had no 'pride' card to gamble with. It was just like back in the Inaguration Ball, when she´d asked him to dance with her and the result, if her memory didn´t fail her, was definitely not what she was expecting.

What if it happened again?

She leaned against the wall, right next to his closed door and shut her eyes, taking a deep breath. Why was it so hard? She´d already hugged him three times... but it had been an involuntary reaction. Well, not _that_ involuntary, just she couldn´t control herself. It had felt so right to do so at the moment! She wasn´t even thinking, for Hyne´s sake! And now that she was completely conscious of her actions, she couldn´t even muster enough courage to knock the goddamn door... not without backup.

God, how she wished Selphie had stayed with her after helping her dress up! Rosie was certain the brunette girl would have said something to make her feel better and finally gather enough guts to ask him out. However, her friend had to make sure everything was ready for the show, the last thing the brunette wanted was to have some last-minute trouble that could mess up all their hard work. The raven-haired smiled a little as she could almost hear what Selphie would say had she indeed remained with her.

_C´mon, Rosie! _

_Don´t be such a coward!! _

_You can do it._

_Just knock the damn door already!_

Rosie bit her lower lip and opened her eyes, smoothing the soft fabric of her new dress. While Irvine and Rinoa helped Zell and Quistis out with the song, Selphie had dragged her friend to FH´s commercial district. They had gone through various stores until they found what Selphie labeled as 'the perfect dress'. The brunette girl had been more excited than Rosie with the purchase and had insisted on helping her get prepared for the night. She had taken so many time and effort on getting Rosie ready, the raven-haired was starting to think of her hyperactive friend as the proverbial fairy-godmother.

Smiling at the memory, Rosie let out a sigh. Her friends were wonderful... and how was she paying them? Standing just outside Squall´s door when she was supposed to get him downstairs to the concert. They couldn´t start without him and she knew that...

_Oh, what the hell! Just do it already!_ She thought angrily. Taking a deep breath, Rosie finally stepped away from the wall and positioned herself in front of his door. Her right hand balled into a fist and she quickly knocked before her recently found courage decided to take a trip to the Island Closest to Hell.

The door opened after a couple of seconds and she was able to look at his face for the first time that day. Her heart melted as she locked her gaze with his azure one. "Hi." She said smiling softly, cocking her head to the side while keeping her eyes locked on his. Squall only nodded back, making her smile grow wider. He was so cute! "So... uhmm... how are you doing? I haven´t seen you around today." Rosie wanted to slap herself. How could she come out with some stupid comment like that?

"I´m just tired." He replied shaking his head slightly.

"Well, I happen to have the perfect remedy for that." Rosie said as she placed her hands behind her back, fiddling with her fingers nervously and waiting for his reaction. When Squall didn´t say anything, the raven-haired girl hesitantly asked "H-How about coming with me to the concert?"

The brunet raised an eyebrow "Concert?"

_Well, at least he´s not freaking out... yet. _

Encouraged, Rosie replied smiling "Yeah. Selphie and the others are throwing it. Every student in Garden is already there... didn´t anybody tell you?"

"Apparently not." Squall shrugged before shaking his head and adding "Sorry. I´m not in the mood..."

"I know." She interrupted him, folding her arms above her chest. "It´s because all this leadership issue, isn´t it?" Rosie leaned against his doorframe, her gaze searching his once more "Cid has put a lot on your shoulders."

He sighed, casting his gaze downwards and remaining silent for almost a minute before finally answering "I really don´t want to talk about it."

Rosie nodded "I understand. It´s all happening quite fast and you´re still trying to sort things out..." when his eyes shot up to meet hers, the raven-haired smiled and added "I know you, Squall. That´s just the way you are."

His eyes narrowed.

_How can she possibly say she knows me? We barely know each other..._

"Anyway, we thought you could use a distraction from all your thinking. You know, just to get you to unwind a little." Rosie was about to tell him Zell´s comment regarding beasts, music and himself, but she thought better. However the mere idea of Squall´s reaction made a huge smile spread through her face.

"Who´s we?" asked Squall folding his arms and raising an eyebrow.

Rosie rolled her eyes "Selphie, Zell, Irvine, Quistis, Rinoa and me. Who else did you have in mind, the 'Muppets' crew?"

"The.. what?"

"Nevermind" the raven-haired shook her head. _That´s two in one day, Rosie!!_ "Anyway, are you coming?" she asked hoping to get his attention back to the main theme and let her little slip pass.

"Just don´t feel like it." he replied shrugging.

"C´mon, Squall! Please!" she made her best puppy-face "They won´t start until you show up. Besides..." she stepped a little closer to him, her heart pounding faster in her chest as a faint shade of pink colored her cheeks "... you´ve been locked up the entire day in your room thinking and I´m sure a little fresh air will help you sort things out. Maybe a different environment will offer you a different perspective?"

He remained silent, placing a hand on his hip while he gazed upon the tiled floor. Rosie followed his example, letting him muse over her words, but at the same time keeping her stance as firm as she could. She watched him debate with himself for almost a minute, until he finally raised his head and looked at her again.

"Fine." He muttered nodding.

Rosie blinked, her mouth hanging slightly ajar. "R-Really?"

Squall nodded again, a little amused by her reaction.

"G-Great! Let´s get going then!" said the raven-haired beaming.

ooo ooo

They walked outside the Garden, the sound of loud rock music and cheering reaching their ears and muffling the crashing of the waves just below the SeeD facility. A very smiling John received the teenagers at the oversized elevator, leading them downstairs to the city´s main structure. They bid him goodnight and made their way towards the Mayor´s house. As they approached, Squall was able to see a huge, multi-platform stage with several laser lights that send colorful rays towards the night sky, the cheering grew louder with every step.

"Hey, fellas!" Irvine´s voice made both teenagers turn around. The smiling sharpshooter was dressed in a black and white cowboyish suit, while carrying the same sax Rosie had seen him practicing with. "See she convinced you to come, Squall." He turned to the raven-haired and said "Mision accomplished, Rosie."

The brunet just folded his arms in reply, causing the girl next to him to smile wider.

"You just missed Selphie´s solo performance. Man, she was great!" the cowboy´s eyes lit with emotion and made Rosie feel happy for her friend. She knew just how much Irvine liked the little brunette, it was just a matter that she finally realized it.

_I don´t know who she reminds me of... _ thought the raven-haired sarcastically, looking at Squall out the corner of her eyes.

"We´re going to play the song we´ve been practicing all day. After that, Sefie arranged a couple of local bands to hit the stage, so this concert is looking quite promising. Anyway, I found this spot for you guys near the stage." added the cowboy smiling "I marked it with a magazine, so don´t worry, you won´t miss it." He then focused entirely on Squall and punched him lightly in the arm while sending him a knowing wink "You can thank me later."

The brunet SeeD blinked in confusion before narrowing his eyes. "Whatever."

Irvine chuckled slightly before a feminine voice called him. He turned and watched as Selphie waved his way. "That´s my signal, guys. Enjoy the show... who knows, maybe I´ll be there later with a special someone too." He winked again before finally turning around and running towards the stage.

_... special someone? _ thought Squall as he watched the cowboy leave.

"C´mon, they aren´t starting until they spot us." said Rosie grabbing his arm and lightly pulling his dark jacket´s sleeve. He allowed her to drag him as much as he had Rinoa during the ball two weeks ago. The only difference was – aside from which girl was dragging him – he wasn´t drafted. The crowd near the stage opened to let them through, whispers and chuckles reaching the teens´ ears as they made their way towards the stage where their friends were already preparing for their next performance.

Selphie stood in the leftmost platform, holding a big electric guitar. She still wore her trademark sunshine dress and brown boots, the tiny brunette had been so busy setting everything for the party, she hadn´t even had time to change. Next to her, in the central platform were Rinoa – who was wearing the same short, cream gown she had during the Inauguration Ball – and Zell, who´d changed into a black punk-looking outfit, clashing completely with the raven-haired girl´s angelic look. Behind them, already sitting at the large black piano, was a nervous Quistis. She was dressed into a red, sleeveless, semi-formal dress and oddly, was wearing her eyeglasses. Apparently, she wanted to be certain she was reading the music sheet correctly. Finally, on the rightmost platform was a very smiling Irvine. The cowboy spotted the other teenagers of their little group approaching through the crowd and whistled to Selphie, gaining her attention and pointing at their friends.

Selphie squealed in delight and grabbed the mic placed a couple of feet from her. "Squall, you big stud!" she said, gaining the crowd´s attention. "This is for you. Congratulations!" the nearby SeeDs and cadets started cheering and hooting, making their new leader shift uncomfortably. Noticing Squall´s demeanor, Selphie quickly said "Rosie, don´t let him get away!"

The girl´s comentary gained chuckles from the addressed raven-haired and the nearby cadets. Rosie grabbed Squall´s arm and smiled "Don´t worry, I won´t..." her gaze resting in his face as the last word left her lips.

"Okay, guys. Ready?" Selphie asked turning to look at her friends on the stage. They nodded back and she started the counting "And-one, two, three..."

Zell´s bass started, the low tempo echoing through the night a couple of seconds before Irvine´s sax joined the martial artist´s melody. Selphie and Quistis were next, the blonde SeeD nervously looking between the music sheet and her fingers.

"Come." Rosie grabbed Squall´s hand and led him away from the stage, to the rightmost part of the solar panel´s central platform. Her heart beating at double pace as Rinoa´s clear voice finally joined their friends´ melody, the familiar song finally taking shape.

_Whenever sang my songs,_

_On the stage, on my own_

They found a magazine laying on the floor. Squall stepped towards it before Rosie´s voice made him halt. "I wouldn´t do that. Knowing Irvine, it´s a naughty magazine." Squall snorted a little before following the raven-haired, who had walked pass him and was already taking a seat at the edge of the platform.

_Whenever said my words_,

_wishing they would be heard._

They remained silent for a minute, enjoying the fresh, warm and salty breeze that reminded Squall of Balamb... and the whole incident with the missiles. His thoughts shifted at neckbreak speed from the four days drifting aimlessly in the ocean, to the battle in FH, to the reunion with his comrades and then to the previous day´s events. So much had happened in the span of nearly two weeks he felt he´d already lived a lifetime.

_I saw you smiling at me,_

_was it real or just my fantasy?_

_You´d always be there in the corner_

_of this tiny little bar._

Rosie´s gaze shifted from the crystal panels almost a dozen meters below them to the young man sitting next to her. She bit her lip nervously, wondering how to adress the matter correctly. Deciding she couldn´t pospone it anymore, the raven-haired sighed and finally said "I-I know you don´t want to talk about it but... I really think we should go over your promotion."

Squall´s frown deepened. "Rosie..."

She didn´t let him continue "Look, I know you want to handle things on your own. You´ve always done it and I´m sure the whole day you were just trying to figure out how to take care of everything by yourself."

He remained silent.

_My last night here for you_

_Same old songs just once more._

_My last night here _with you?

_Maybe yes, maybe no._

"As I told you before, Cid has just put a lot on your shoulders. It´s not going to be easy and going on it on your own, is not going to help matters any." Rosie´s dark eyes locked with his, her voice became lower as she said "You don´t have to face this alone, Squall."

_I kind of like it you´re your way_

_How you shyly placed your Eyes on Me._

_Did you ever know that I had mine on you?_

"We´re here to help you." she said sincerely. "We _want_ to help you... if you just let us." Rosie shook her head "We want you to rely more on us. Don´t just bottle everything inside, if there´s something you need... anything, let us know." She smiled warmly and said "We´ll be there for you... we´ve always been, whether you realize it or not."

_Darling so there you are_

_With that look on your face_

Squall´s eyes narrowed. She was reading him like a book... Yeah, he´d been trying to figure out how to take care of everything by himself. The truth was he was scared of relying on people. It made him vulnerable and he didn´t want to feel that way again. He couldn´t afford it. The comfort brought by friends could easily be lost, leaving you completely devastated.

Trust... was a dangerous thing.

_As if you´re never hurt_

_As if you´re never down_

Rosie watched him debate with himself for the second time that night. She knew exactly what his inner monologue was about and decided to do something to ease his troubled thoughts.

"I´ll always be there."

_Shall I be the one for you _

_Who pinches you softly, but sure_

_If frown is shown then, I´ll know that you are no dreamer_

Squall´s head whipped at the sound of Rosie´s voice. His eyes narrowed as he cocked his head slightly to the side in confusion. "What?"

The raven-haired leaned towards him, the heat on her cheeks covered by the nightly shadows. "I said I´ll always be there... for you."

_So let me come to you_

_Close as I want to be_

"I promise if you ever call on me, I´ll be there." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but being so close, Squall was able to hear her every word. The scent of the salty breeze mixed with her floral perfume, oddly making the hairs on the back of his neck rise a little. Though he couldn´t place it like a bad feeling...

_Close enough for me_

_To hear your heart beating fast_

"You´re not alone, Squall." Rosie´s eyes shimmered with an unknown emotion as she looked at him. Her left hand closed around his right one and give it a reasuring squeeze. "You have us."

_You have me... even if you don´t want me around._

_And stay there as I whisper_

_How I love your peaceful Eyes on Me_

_Did you ever know that I had mine on you?_

"Times are going to get rough, but you have us to help you out."

Squall sighed and shook his head lightly "I appreciate your concern... but..." his words were cut off by Rosie´s cool index finger pressed against his lips.

"Don´t." She said firmly. "Don´t push us away."

He took her hand off his face and shook his head again "Sorry..."

Rosie frowned "Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?" she snapped angrily "We´re just trying to help you! To get to know you better and be by your side!"

_Darling so share with me_

_Your love if you have enough,_

He didn´t reply, his gaze settling on the shinning solar panels below, avoiding the raven-haired´s gaze at all costs. Rosie´s fists balled in anger as she got up "Fine, have it your way! Sometimes I don´t know why I even bother."

Squall turned to look at her retreating figure, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched her halt suddenly. Her stance remained tense for a couple of seconds before she turned her head slowly to the side, not enough to face him, but enough to regard his presence. "That´s a lie, you know?" she muttered, the loose bangs of her ebony hair covering her eyes, making it impossible for Squall to look at them.

He stood from his resting place, but remained silent, waiting for her to continue. Rosie finally turned around and lifted her head to face him again. Squall felt a knot in his stomach as he finally was able to look at her eyes, which were glistening with unfallen tears. "I do it because I care for you..."

_Your tears if you´re holding back_

_Or pain if that´s what it is._

"Why can´t you understand?" her voice cracked a little due to the emotion she was trying hard to contain. She motioned towards the huge stage where their friends were still playing "Look at what we´ve done especially for you..."

"I didn´t ask you to."

"I know!" she took a couple of steps towards him, her tears finally rolling down her cheeks "But that´s what friendship is about. To understand the others´ needs and feelings and help them out. That´s what I want you to understand!" Rosie stood directly in front of him, her dark eyes locking with his blue-grey ones "We are your friends, not just your comrades, war-buddies of whatever you call us in that mind of yours. We care for you, we _really_ do! That´s why we want you to trust us."

_How can I let you know_

_I´m more than the dress and the voice?_

_Just reach me out then, you´ll know that you are not dreaming._

"Because we´re not going anywhere." Rosie sniffed a little and dried a tear from her right eye. Her voice became softer, her cheeks turning pink again. "We all love you... that´s why we want to help you out and be with you."

He remained silent.

What can he say to reply such a statement? How had he gained the trust and care of his comrades... his _friends_? He had done nothing to encourage those feelings and everything to push them away... yet they had stayed.

But, could he trust them back?

It was not really an issue on whether the teenagers deserved his trust or not, he knew they did. It was more likely whether he was willing to open up or remain inside his secluded little world, where he was safe from harm and pain...

... where he was alone.

Where he didn´t have to worry about anybody leaving him again.

"We´re all SeeDs and you know how dangerous our lives are..."

_There we go again..._ "That´s true, Squall. I´m not going to say there isn´t the possibility of dying on our journey, because there is... and we both know it. I´m not going to lie to you, because I know you wouldn´t like that." Rosie sighed and continued "We can´t predict the future... so many things have changed and I´m not even sure of what can be done about them." Her voice faltered in the last words, her demeanor suddenly growing distant as though she was seriously considering how to change events that hadn´t even come to pass. The raven-haired shook her head and returned her whole attention to Squall "Anyway, that´s why we have to make up for the time we´re allowed to be together. That´s why every second is a precious gift."

_Just to be able to speak to you, to look into your eyes or hear your voice is a blessing for me. _

_I wouldn´t change even one of your words for the world._

"I treasure every moment I spend with you and the rest of our friends." The tears returned to Rosie´s eyes, but this time she was able to keep them at bay. "That´s why I´m fighting. To protect the ones I love... the ones I care about."

_Darling so there you are_

_With that look on your face_

Her smile transformed in a playfull smirk "And because when all this is over, I really want to go on a vacation with all of my friends."

Squall snorted and shook his head a little. She just had this ability to change his mood in a second... it was unbelievable.

Rosie´s demeanor turned a little serious as she calmly said "Look, you don´t have to answer me right now. I know you take time – quite a lot of time, if I may add – to sort things out... but as I told you before, it´s just the way you are. That´s why I´m only asking you to consider what I told you tonight, kay?"

_As if you´re never hurt_

_As if you´re never down_

The brunet SeeD nodded slowly, gaining a warm smile from the girl standing in front of him. Rosie did a little victory dance inwardly, as she recognized Squall´s gesture as a positive one. Normally, he would nod more slowly or emphatically if he really meant it.

Satisfied with the result, Rosie congratulated herself on her tactic. She knew better than to push Squall too far. She was a SeeD just like him, which meant he wouldn´t follow her orders just as he would do with Rinoa, so the 'pushing to the edge' tactic the other raven-haired had used on him during the game was completely out of the question for her.

She rather play slightly on his logical side – knowing it was the most dominant in him, but always being careful of not reinforcing his cold, hard logic – while at the same time trying to open him up, to accept feelings are not a weakness... and even though this concert had been only a small step in making him realize what friendship and trust were about, Rosie knew it was a very important one.

_Shall I be the one for you_

_Who pinches you softly, but sure_

_If frown is shown then, I´ll know that you are no dreamer_

Rosie sighed and turned to look at the velvet sky. Thousands of stars were blinking like diamonds attached to a dark, silk cloth. "It´s a beautiful night, isn´t it?"

"You´re going to challenge me again?"

"Uh?" his words caught her completely by surprise, making Rosie´s attention shift immediately from the stars above to the young man standing in front of her. "Challenge you again?"

"Yeah, last time you commented on the weather was just before you challenged me on that race." replied Squall, the raven-haired´s smile widening as she noticed the quiet humor behind his icy eyes.

"I don´t think so." said Rosie, shaking her head a little "First of all, I still owe you 200 gil, remember? And trust me, after purchasing this dress, there´s like that quantity remaining in my SeeD credit card. And second... I´m not wearing my swimsuit tonight." A playful smile crossed her features as she asked "Unless of course, you don´t mind going skinny dipping."

"Well..." he replied in all seriousness, folding his arms above his chest and glancing at her sideways "... I could manage. The water´s not cold this time of year."

Rosie´s eyes widened, a deep blush covering her cheeks before narrowing her eyes in suspicion as she placed her hands on her hips. "Who are you and what have you done to Squall Leonhart?"

He just shrugged, making her chuckle.

The last scores from the song died between the cheering and clapping of the crowd. Rosie sighed as she finally managed to control her laughter and locked her gaze with Squall´s once more.

_I´ll live up to my word, Squall. _

_ I´ll always be there for you..._

_ ... I promise._

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author's note:_

_Hiya! I'm back again!! Sorry for the late update, but as usual, work keeps getting in my way :S_

_Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As you can see, it's longer than the last ones. Just one thing... I'm not sure why, but this page just seems to enjoy ignoring my doc's configuration. No matter how much I tried to edit the song lyric so it would appear in italics and have more space between its paragraphs and the rest of the story, the damn editor just kept displaying it in normal characters and almost overlapping each other... I hate it!! Please, ignore this fact and enjoy the chap, kay?_

_I want to thank all the reviewers for your support, this story is dedicated to each and everyone of you, because you're the ones that keep it going. Without your words, I'm sure it would have been abandoned a while ago, especially due to work issues._

_But here we are! And we're already halfway on it's development!! WOO-HOO!! (opens a bottle of champagne and fills everyone's glasses) So cheers for that!!_

_Well, gotta go! But enjoy your drinks! It's on me, kay?_

_Remember all commentaries are welcome... since I haven't received any credit cards, cash or indecent photos, I guess I'll just stick to the first one on the list :p_

_Lots and lots of hugs and kisses (so Riku Uchiha doesn't complain) for all of you,_


	47. Chapter 47 The Journey Begins

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 47: The journey begins **

By CelestialRage

Squall's eyes opened as the lift´s trademark _ping_ announced the brunet he had finally arrived to the new Garden´s bridge. As Cid had promised, the FH technicians had already finished the repair and configuration job of the recently found SeeD facility´s navegation system.

As he made his way towards the third floor, Squall couldn´t help but notice that the general mood around Garden had changed. The students seemed more... well, happy. Their calm 2 day- stay in the quiet fishing town, along with the previous night´s concert seemed to have boosted the population´s spirits. Squall was amazed when he noticed even the normally grouchy cafeteria tender was whistling one of the songs his friends played last night. She caught his stare and smiled widely, making the brunet even more confused than he already was.

His musing was cut off when the small cargo elevator finally reached the bridge, the sound of clapping reaching his ears and making his eyes go up to find Xu, Quistis, Cid and Nida greeting him with applauses.

"Greetings, Commander." said Quistis smiling widely.

Squall´s eyes narrowed as he folded his arms "Don´t call me that." Last time someone had adressed him like that was during one of those strange dreams about Laguna.

"We thought you should have a title, that´s why Quistis and I decided on Commander." replied Xu shrugging slightly.

"Sorry for carrying things out on our own, but Xu and I assigned duties." added Quistis as she handed Squall a list of names and their charges.

"I´ll be taking care of the administration stuff as normally." said the Headmaster smiling. "Xu and Joan will take care of the supplies."

"We´ve already started checking Garden´s founds. Thanks to NORG´s administration, we have more than enough money to keep us operating for a year or more." added Xu before shaking her head and continuing "NORG might have been a bastard, but he did know how to efficiently capitalize our incomes."

"I´ll be taking care of the students along with Doctor Kadowaki." said Quistis "Our population - thanks to the missiles incident - has decreased in a 30, leaving us with only 250 cadets and 30 SeeDs inside our base."

Squall nodded, still glancing at the white paper sheet.

"Dante and I will take care of the navigation system." added the dark haired SeeD, gaining a look from the brunet. "The FH technicians have shown us how to use the new controls, so we´ll take shifts. I´ll take the day´s turn and Dante will be in charge during the nightime hours."

"That way you´ll only need to focus on our next destination and the battle plans." added Xu smiling. "How does that sound to you?"

"Fine." replied Squall. Truth be told, he was glad his comrades had relieved him of some of the burdens that came with administrating the huge SeeD facility. Now he understood the magnitude of the responsability Cid had placed upon him...

"So, any suggestions on where we should go?" asked Quistis, her gaze settled on Squall´s frame.

"We better go back to Balamb." replied the Commander after a brief consideration. "It´s a harbor town as FH and may be Galbadia´s next target."

"You´re right." said Xu nodding, "Besides, we could retrieve our battleships. I´m sure they´ll come in handy."

Cid smiled and said "Well, it seems we have our next destination settled."

Squall nodded and turned to look at Nida "We´re taking off. Announce the departure."

The dark haired SeeD saluted the Commander. "Roger!" He then turned towards the new bright panel and pressed a couple of buttons, making the chimes preceding the PA´s transmition sound. "May I have your attention, please? This is the bridge..."

ooo ooo

Rosie felt like walking on clouds the whole morning.

She´d even surprised herself singing loudly in the shower, for Hyne´s sake! The raven-haired was almost certain she´d be receiving lots of complains from her fellow SeeDs in the next few hours. But she couldn´t help it... she was so happy, it felt natural to do so.

The concert had gone smoothly and everyone had enjoyed it. Selphie had been ecstatic at the success. Rosie smiled as she remembered the excited brunette girl hugging Irvine tightly out of sheer happiness and then blushing furiously as she finally realized what she´d done.

The raven-haired stopped in front of one of her friends´ dorm and knocked. Pressing her ear against the door, she could hear shuffling sounds inside, followed by a groggy voice.

"Whoz it?"

"It´s me, Irv. Open up." Rosie replied, barely stiffling a chuckle at the cowboy´s tone.

"Awrit ...am hummin..."

A couple of seconds later, Irvine opened the door. The cowboy seemed to have just climbed out of a T-Rexaur´s mouth, his blue pijama pants were completely wrinkled while his normally tidy long reddish-brown hair was tangled and pointing in every direction.

"Rough night, uh?" asked Rosie smiling widely as the sharpshooter let out a yawn while he stretched his back´s muscles.

"Nah, I woke up alone." Irvine replied, scratching the back of his head.

The raven-haired rolled her eyes "Ok, I´m going to pretend I didn´t hear that."

"So, what can I do for you on this beautiful morning, darlin'?" asked the cowboy leaning against his doorframe and offering the girl in front of him his best smile.

"Well... today´s July the 16th." said Rosie matter-o-factly.

When she said nothing else, Irvine raised an eyebrow and asked "So?"

"So?! Today´s Selphie´s birthday!"

"Are you sure?" Rosie folded her arms and suddenly Irvine remembered what she had told him in the desert prision. "Oh, yeah... Anyway, what do you have in mind, doll?"

Before she could even speak, Nida´s voice echoed through the Garden. "May I have your attention, please? This is the bridge. We are leaving FH shortly, so be prepared for the departure. I will now hand over the mic to our leader, Squall."

"Forget it, I´m not giving a damn speech." The brunet teen´s voice was barely audible through the speakers, his voice gaining volume as he approached the panel and tried to close the transmition "C´mon, cut the mic!"

SeeDs and cadets alike laughed at their Commander´s reaction all over the facility. Finally able to contain her chuckles, Rosie shook her head lightly and said "Poor Squall... it´s his first day on the job and he´s already embarassed himself."

ooo ooo

Selphie looked around the crowded cafeteria and sighed. She hadn´t seen even one of her friends all morning. It was already meal time and it appeared she´d have to eat alone once more.

_Bummer! So much for a happy birthday..._

But how would they know about it? The brunette girl slapped her forehead, earning a few glances from the cadets around. She had totally forgotten to tell them about it... with the excitement brought by the concert and Rosie´s 'unofficial date' with Squall, the thought of her upcoming birthday had vanished from the tiny SeeD´s mind until this morning when she received a couple of emails from her friends in Trabia.

How she wished she could visit her homeland!

Selphie smiled as memories from her past birthdays flashed through her mind. Her best friend, Lena would always invite her to dinner in the "Choco-Bongo", her favourite restaurant.while Joseph and Chris always bought her a bouquet of red Trabian wild roses. Flowers were rare in the icy northern lands, but on the warm (as warm as Trabia can get) summer days some wild flowers would leave their hibernation and treat the normally white landscape with their colourful beauty.

The brunette girl took a couple of fries from her plate and lazily ate them, her mind still lost in the Trabian lands. She was so deep in thought, she didn´t even notice the figure that had just reached her side until something waved right before her eyes.

"Hey, Selphie! Selphie!"

"Uh?" the tiny SeeD came out of her trance and looked up to the smiling face of Rinoa. She returned the gesture and said "Hi! Where were you all morning?"

The raven-haired took a seat across Selphie and replied "Erm... sorry... I was using one of the study panels in the classrooms..."

"Anything interesting?"

Rinoa chuckled slightly "If you are trying to ask me whether I checked your Festival page or not... it´s a yes. I even left a message in the 'My friends' submenu."

"Thanks!" Selphie beamed "I have been asking the others too, hope they´ll do it sometime."

"Well..." replied Rinoa before munching a piece of her club sandwich "... Irvine, Quistis and Zell have already signed."

The tiny SeeD sighed inaudibly before resuming her meal. Rosie hadn´t signed yet... and she was _supposed_ to be her best friend! Squall would never leave a comment and Selphie knew it. Maybe just a 'whatever' or something like that if the mood struck, but it was most likely to count the SeeD leader out... but Rosie... there was no excuse! She´d plenty of time to do it, yet she hadn´t even dropped a single word.

_What could she possibly be doing?_

ooo ooo

"OUCH!" the clattering sound the knife made as it collided with the tiled floor echoed through the large room. The cafeteria ladies and several students that were at the counter glanced towards the back door leading to Garden´s kitchen.

"Damn, Rosie! You´re bleeding all over the place!"

"Well, sorry but I almost cut my whole hand off!"

"Quick, cast a Cure on it!"

"CURE!"

"Zell watch where you´re aiming the spell!"

"Hello? I´m still bleeding!!"

"Cure!"

**sigh** "Thanks, Quistis..."

"You´re supposed to be junctioned all the time, Rosie."

"Sorry, Quisty... I thought we´d still have a couple of peaceful days left."

"Well, we´d still do if _someone_ could actually cut those damn strawberries without bleeding every 5 minutes."

"Geez, I said I´m sorry! Besides, Irvine... I wouldn´t have to be cutting strawberries _again_ if _**YOU**_ hadn´t ruined the first cake."

"Hey! It was just a slight miscalculation on the temperature!"

"Yeah... of 20°C more than the necessary!"

"Will the two of you just shut up, please?"

"Sorry, Quistis!"

A couple of peaceful minutes passed. The sound of chopping along with the liquefier´s noise as it mixed some of the cake´s ingredients were the only ones to interrupt the otherwise silent room. Rosie´s eyes shifted to the martial artist sitting on a stool beside her as she noticed he grabbed something from the table and was munching happily.

"... Zell..."

"Mphhff?"

"... are you eating the strawberries?"

"Mwe? Opf kouf Nphf!"

"ZELL!! I´ve been bleeding buckets to get those strawberries ready!!"

**sigh** "Rosie, calm down..."

"See? That´s why I told you guys to just buy her the cake!"

ooo ooo

Selphie and Rinoa made their way to the brunette´s dorm. The raven-haired girl had been keeping the SeeD company during the last 4 hours, task that had been relatively easy as the normally hyperactive girl seemed to be less energetic today. Rinoa barely managed to keep herself from smiling as she imagined the brunette´s face once she finally realized what her friends have been doing the entire day.

Rinoa stole a glance at her watch. It was 7:00 p.m. and as they had planned, she´d asked Selphie to lend her a music CD Rosie had seen resting on her desk a couple of days earlier. Not that Rinoa was particulary a fan of _Mesmerize´s Dream_, but it should do.

"Thanks Selph. I've been aching to hear that album."

Selphie introduced her keycard in the reader and smiled "Hey, don´t worry! I´m sure you´ll-"

"SURPRISE!!"

Her words were muffled by the sudden greeting her friends gave her as she switched on the lights. The brunette girl´s eyes were wide and her mouth hanged slightly ajar as she glanced at her now brightly decorated room. True, they couldn´t go shopping as the Garden had already taken off from FH and apparently, Rosie had told them where the committee kept their precious balloon stores... but she didn´t mind at all.

"Happy birthday, Selphie!" Rosie said as she hugged her friend tightly.

"B-but... how did you...?" when the raven-haired rolled her eyes, the tiny SeeD smiled and said "Of course... I´d forgotten."

Rinoa narrowed her eyes at the girls´ exchange but before she could question them, Irvine and Zell presented Selphie a big, tasty-looking cake.

"It´s a Ms. Moogle´s cake!" squealed the tiny brunette happily, bouncing in place "That´s my favorite!"

"Yeah, Rosie told us. Fortunately for us, one of the cafeteria ladies knew the recipe." said Irvine smiling widely at Selphie´s excited reaction. He pulled the girl into a hug and whispered his congratulations, gaining a deep blush from the brunette and a thumbs up from Rosie.

"Sorry, we couldn´t get you any presents..." Quistis said as she hugged the birthday girl..

"Yeah, that´s why we made you the cake." said Zell with a proud grin.

"And I have the battle scars to prove it!" added Rosie raising her right bandaged hand. Her friends had run out of healing magic and she´d no choice but to make a quick trip to the infirmary, where doctor Kadowaki practically ordered her to stay at least 20 feet away from any pointy items.

"It´s ok, guys..." Selphie said smiling, her voice cracking a little as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. "Thanks so much!"

ooo ooo

A painful shriek echoed through the Training Center, the dying grat trashed wildly as life escaped its body. Squall stood a couple of feet away, his gunblade in a ready position as he checked his surroundings for any more possible threats.

The Commander was tired, but he highly doubted his troubled mind would allow him some rest. It was near curfew and he knew he´d have to head to his quarters soon... which suddenly reminded him of the special event that was going on that evening.

"Squall!"

He retrieved his card from the reader and turned his head to the side to regard the approaching raven-haired girl.

"Morning." said Rosie smiling. He nodded and she continued "Uhm... I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Well... uhm... I went to see Cid earlier and asked him if he could lend me a spare key to Selphie´s room and he told me you have a master keycard or something... you know, to open practically every door in Garden." When he remained silent, she bit her lower lip briefly before finally saying "And I was wondering if...uhm... you could lend me your keycard... please?"

Squall folded his arms "Why do you want to enter Selphie´s room?"

"Because today´s her birthday and I want to decorate it for the surprise party we´re planning for her."

At this, the Commander raised one eyebrow "Party?"

"Oh, nothing big!" blurted Rosie quickly. She knew what he was thinking, it was against Garden regulations to do loud reunions in the dorms and to be out after curfew, which was at 10:30 p.m. "Just the 7 of us... no one else, I promise... and there will be no alcohol, drugs or any other substance or behaviour forbidden by Garden. We´re just going to eat some cake and play board games that Zell has stacked in his room, nothing else." She smiled widely when he blinked in confusion. Yeah, seemed she´d covered all the negative points he could argue with.

"So... what do you say?" she bit her lower lip again, waiting for his reaction.

Squall dug into his pants´ rear pocket and produced a thin, black keycard with Garden´s emblem beautifully printed on it. He handed it to Rosie – who was smiling brightly – but before she could touch it, Squall retreated it.

"Just the 6 of you, got it?" he said narrowing his eyes.

"I said 7, Squall..." replied the raven-haired frowning "...you´re coming too, right?" He handed her the card but didn´t reply. Rosie took the black item and repeated "Right?"

The Commander shook his head as he turned and opened his dorm´s door. "Can´t."

"Can´t or won´t?" he froze in place and glanced at her out the corner of his eyes. Rosie shrugged "Because if you can´t, maybe we could help you get whatever issue that is holding you back done so you can go. But if you won´t because you don´t want to-"

"Won´t, then." He growled.

She folded her arms "Why not? It´s for Selphie..."

"I hate parties."

"Well, it´s not going to be a party... it´s more like a reunion."

Squall rolled his eyes "Whatever."

Rosie sighed and frowned "You´re impossible sometimes, you know?"

_Well, you´re no straw house yourself..._ The Commander thought sarcastically, though he kept his comment for himself. When he didn´t say anything else, the raven-haired shook her head and said:

"You should at least drop by to say 'congratulations'. If you don´t want to stay, then fine... but I think Selphie deserves at least that little symphathy." Deciding not to push the issue further, least she wanted to be on a foul mood the whole day due to his behaviour, Rosie turned around and left without another word.

The grat´s last loud shriek brought Squall back to the present. The Commander watched as the montrous plant shuddered one last time before finally going still. The brunet SeeD checked his gunblade´s barrel, reloading it before placing it over his shoulder. Glancing at his watch again, he turned around and walked out of the Training Center.

ooo ooo

"Hey! That´s not fair!" Zell complained as he looked at the small card he´d just produced from the stack placed over the board. The teenagers had spent the last 2 hours playing 'Dare' and the martial artist was now facing the dilemma on whether to smell one of Irvine´s socks or running a whole minute around the main hall - which given the time was full with students - in one of Selphie´s summer dresses.

"C´mon, Zell you have to do one of them." said Rinoa smiling.

"Yeah, we all did what we were asked to." added Quistis with a grin as she watched the martial artist shift uncomfortably on his sitting place on the floor.

"This one would go SO good with your eyes!" teased Selphie producing a baby blue strapless dress from her closet. When Zell gulped, the brunette girl smiled wider and took another "No? Well, I have a pink one too."

"Irvine, give me your sock!" yelled the blond brawler anxiously when the birthday girl showed him his second option: a lovely short pink dress with small white flowers printed all through the fabric.

"Eww! Gross!" squealed Rosie pinching her nose as the cowboy took off his left boot slowly and moved it in front of Zell´s paling face.

The teenagers´ laughter grew when the martial artist suddenly dropped Irvine´s white sock and bolted to his feet, crossing Selphie´s dorm in a second before slamming the bathroom´s door shut after him.

Some time later and after Zell had composed and plopped himself back on the floor, the 6 SeeDs decided to change the game. Rinoa opened a box labeled 'Body Pretzel' and started to set the pieces on the floor: a cardboard square with numerous colorful dots and a spinner and a large white cloth with the same numerous colorful dots. Rosie recognized the game immediately... she´d played it before when she was little, only she knew it as 'Twister'.

"Well, who goes first?" asked the raven-haired girl smiling.

Zell and Quistis passed, the first was still dazed from what he´d labeled as 'Irvine´s sock of doom capable of easily choking a Marlboro' while the second just shrugged and said she rather see how they embarrassed themselves.

Rinoa was the first to spin the wheel. "Okay... Selphie, right foot, blue."

ooo ooo

Squall reached the dorm´s hallway and stopped dead on his tracks as muffled laughter could be clearly heard from one of the rooms located at his right. The Commander shook his head and used his keycard on the reader. The lock released and the small green blinking light announced him the door was now open.

ooo ooo

"That is impossible!" complained Rosie frowning at the smiling Rinoa. "How am I supposed to get to the red spot?"

"That´s why this game´s called 'Body Pretzel', dear." replied Quistis chuckling. The raven-haired SeeD glared at the ex-instructor who obviously found her predicament quite amusing.

"Rosie, could you please stop complaining and move?" asked Selphie from her uncomfortable position on the board. "I can´t be like this forever!"

"Sorry..." muttered the raven-haired girl before glancing again at the challenging red spot. She sighed as she realized she´d practically to go under Irvine to get to the desired place and if she moved clumsily (which was her especiality) she´d end up knocking both of her friends over. "Okay... here I go..."

Irvine smirked as Rosie moved her arm around his torso. The raven-haired SeeD was so focused in moving as swiftly as possible – so she didn´t have to make contact with the cowboy´s body – that she didn´t hear the knocking at Selphie´s door. Rosie´s eyes were settled on the nearing red spot as she stretched her arm to reach it...

_Just a little further..._

"Squall!" Zell´s voice made Rosie´s attention shift suddenly to the young Commander standing at the entrance, just in front of where they were playing 'Body Pretzel'. The raven-haired blushed as Squall eyes widened at the sight before him: Irvine, Selphie and Rosie were tangled in a white cloth with several colorful dots... and the position the raven-haired currently was in didn´t help matters any.

"Hi!" blurted Rosie, smiling shyly before she missed the spot and tripped with a yelp, sending both of her friends to the floor with her.

"Ouch my back!" groaned Irvine as Selphie´s knee had landed exactly on the small of the sharpshooter´s back.

"Irv.. ine.. get... off... m...e..." the raven-haired wheezed as the weight of both, the cowboy and the birthday girl, was squashing her. Chuckling, Zell and Quistis moved immediately to help their friends off the floor, while Rinoa was reduced to fits of laughter.

"Remind me never to play that game with Rosie again." muttered Selphie as she rubbed her sore arms. She then turned her attention to the newcomer and smiling brightly said "I´m glad you came! C´mon, take a seat."

Squall shook his head slightly, still eyeing the game board suspiciously. "I just came to say 'happy birthday', Selphie."

"Aww! Thanks so much, Squall!" squealed the brunette girl happily and Rosie could see she was refraining herself from hugging the Commander.

The brunet nodded and turned to leave.

ooo ooo

Twenty minutes later, the little reunion had ended. Selphie once again thanked her friends for the marvelous birthday party and the teenagers returned to their respective dorms before curfew was announced.

Rosie stopped in front of Squall´s dorm and, after a brief hesitation, knocked. She didn´t have to wait long, apparently the SeeD Commander had been reading after he left Selphie´s dorm as he was clutching an edition of the _Weapons Monthly Magazine._

"Hi, sorry to bother you." she said smiling before presenting him the black keycard she had retrieved that morning "Here, thanks a lot for borrowing it to me." He took it with a nod and she immediately handed him a small plastic dish covered with a napkin "Also... Selphie sent you some of her birthday present. Hope you like it."

Squall glanced at the dish briefly before taking it. He noticed Rosie´s bandaged hand "What happened to you?" he asked before he could even stop himself. The Commander bit his tongue... what did it matter? Last thing he wanted right now was to engage in a non-stop chat with the raven-haired girl, he was way too tired for that.

Then... why did it matter?

"Uh?" Rosie held her injured hand and shrugged slightly "Oh, I was trying to chop some strawberries for Selphie´s cake and I kind of missed a couple of blows..." she finished with a smile.

Squall just nodded and Rosie decided to dismiss herself "Well, see you tomorrow." She smiled again and turned around, producing her cardkey. Suddenly, she turned to face him "By the way..." Squall – who was already half the way of closing his door – stopped and focused on her. "... it was a nice gesture... It really meant a lot to Selphie."

The Commander blinked once and Rosie´s smile widened briefly before finally saying "Good night." and disappearing through her door.

Squall returned to his bed and sat down, placing the magazine in front of him as he uncovered what Selphie had sent him. He sneered a little at the sight of the sweet in front of him... it seemed just too high on sugar for his liking: the top was covered with strawberries and fluffy cream, while the middle was filled with what appeared to be red marmalade... surely strawberries too.

No wonder the tiny brunette was always so hyper!

Taking the plastic fork that accompanied the dish, the Commander sniffed the food before finally placing a piece in his mouth.

ooo ooo

"Our first priority is to get her." the dark-cladded woman bent to whisper into her sitting Knight´s ear. "Trabia´s SeeDs can wait..."

"But, my Sorceress..."

"No, Seifer." Her tone became as cold as ice, sending a chill down the young blond´s spine. The atmosphere in the Garden Master´s room dropped several grades below zero as the Sorceress manifested a tiny bit of her contained wrath.

First, the SeeDs had managed to sneak inside the Missile Base, destroying most of Galbadia´s massive weaponry. Then, they had managed to avoid the missiles aimed at Balamb Garden, discovering the ancient Centra´s navigation system. And she didn´t want to even think about the failure in FH! The only thing that moron Okamoto had managed to do well was taking the technical squad back to Galbadia Garden. Thanks to them, their new base was mobile and even faster than the SeeD´s one.

But still... he´d paid with his life.

An evil grin flashed through her beautiful, pale face as she remembered the fool begging on his knees for her forgiveness and the powerful magical flame that consumed his body seconds later, just as she´d done with Vinzer Deling.

She would not tolerate any more mistakes. Not when she was so close to achieving her goal.

Her clawed hands snaked around her Knight´s upper torso as she rested her chin on his right shoulder. "Ellone comes first... besides, the Trabian SeeDs are less in number than Balamb ones... even if they form an alliance, they are still very down in man-power than us." she hissed into his ear.

Seifer´s eyes glazed over as the Sorceress tightened her embrace "The other choice is that girl..."

"... Kid ..." muttered the blond teen.

She chuckled, a soft sound full of malice "Yes... the only incovenience is that she is with those SeeDs." The Sorceress caressed Seifer´s chin with the back of her hand as she continued "That is why, my sweet Knight, we must focus our efforts in finding Ellone. We can not risk ourselves to go after the other girl and fail, for we would alert the SeeDs and they will make sure we have no other chance."

The Knight nodded slowly.

"Well, then." The woman said as she straightened "You should go rest. The float left within Timber´s territory will part early tomorrow to the east."

"Yes, my Sorceress." said Seifer, his expression changing back to normal as Edea´s spell left his mind. "We´ll be leaving Balamb tomorrow´s evening after the soldiers finish delivering the supplies."

"It´s a shame Ellone was not here either." replied Edea darkly "Balamb is such a beautiful town! Such a pity it will be reduced to ashes by tomorrow´s night."

The blond Knight smirked.

He´d love to see Chicken-wuss´s face when that happened!

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

Author´s note:

_Hi again!! I´m finally back!_

_Well, this chapter was fun to write :D I got the idea of making something for Selphie´s birthday when I was going through the game´s script. The SeeD Inauguration party is suposed to take place during summer... so I thought, why not include some kind of celebration for the tiny SeeD? Her birthday is on july 16, so..._

_And here´s the result. Hope you all liked it :D_

_The Mrs. Moogle cake reference actually exists. After you liberate Balamb, there´s a chef standing in the pier (where you take the vessels to Dollet) and he´s talking about Balamb fish. If you take Selphie she´ll say her favorite food is Mrs. Moogle´s cake which has a lot of fruit on top (though just strawberries in my story) covered with cream. The marmalade inside it was my sis idea, so the credit goes for her..._

_I´m not very much into sweet stuff, unless it´s chocolate ;p_

_Anyway, I hope to have the next chap ready for Wednesday... so stay tuned, please._

_Lots of love,_

_Celestial Rage_


	48. Chapter 48 Liberating Balamb

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 48: Liberating Balamb **

By CelestialRage

Squall hurried out of the Training Center, the cadets on his path stepping aside to allow their Commander passage. He slammed the 3rd floor button on the elevator's panel and counted his heartbeats until the doors opened with a _ping_.

"What is it?" asked the brunet SeeD as he jumped off the small cargo lift, not even waiting for it to stop.

"That!" replied Nida pointing to a huge red structure floating a couple of miles away from Balamb town.

The Commander cursed under his breath as he recognized the western SeeD facility. Seemed the Galbadians had found out their new base's navigation system... but what was worse was that the gargantuan Garden seemed even faster than their own.

Last time Squall had heard of Galbadia Garden it was still stationed in its rightful place... and that was only 3 days ago.

"How much time until we reach the coast?" asked Squall, his gaze still locked with the red Garden.

"A couple of hours max." replied the dark haired SeeD.

"Stop the engines." ordered the Commander before walking towards the panel and activating the PA system "This is Commander Leonhart speaking. Quistis Trepe, Zell Dincht, Selphie Tilmitt, Rossane Bennett and Irvine Kinneas, report to the bridge at once." He turned and quickly descended on the cargo lift, walking towards a room on the right side of the third floor, where Cid had moved his office and living quarters. Without even knocking on the door, Squall entered the room and walked directly where the older man was sitting.

"Sir, we have a problem."

ooo ooo

"Say WHAT?!" Zell's eyes widened as Squall delivered the news.

"We need to find a way inside the town." said Quistis frowning. "We must know whether they found Ellone or not."

"They haven't." muttered Rosie, gaining the glances of her comrades. She shook her head slightly and sent the 4 SeeDs that knew her secret a meaningful look. "I'm sure Balamb would be burnt down to ashes by now if they had already found her."

"Well, if she's not there... Balamb could suffer the same fate Edea had in store for FH, don't you think?" added Zell anxiously "We gotta do something!"

Selphie nodded and turned to look at their leader "So, what do you have in mind?"

"We can't attack them head-on." said Squall frowning and looking at the town's blueprints laying on the table. "We don't know how many soldiers are in town, not to mention the additional units inside Galbadia Garden."

"And the Sorceress." added Irvine folding his arms, his normally relaxed expression darkening at the memory of Edea's powerful magic.

Squall nodded. "It's most likely that Edea is in there..." his frown deepened as he concluded "... along with Seifer"

Zell grunted something – which, for the look Quistis gave him, was an expletive – as his fists clenched in anger. Rinoa (who wasn't exactly invited to the reunion, but no one minded her presence in it) placed her hand over his shoulder and smiled warmly, trying to soothe the brawler's temper a little. When the blond SeeD nodded and relaxed slightly, the raven-haired girl turned to look at Squall "Don't forget the people in town... we can't risk their lives either."

"The only option is to infiltrate Balamb undercover." said the Commander. "That way we can analyze the town's situation and act accordingly." Squall's gaze turned to the girl standing at his right. "You still have that galbadian uniform?"

Rosie blinked in surprise "Y-yeah. With all that has happened the last days, I haven´t even removed it from the clothes´ basket."

"Mine's cool too!" added Selphie happily. "I was thinking on wearing it on Halloween"

"Mmhh... mine suffered a little accident... so you should count it out." muttered Zell. When the other SeeDs turned to watch him, the martial artist shrugged and said "Hey, the thing was too damn itchy and I couldn't get it off. It was driving me nuts so I ripped it open, okay?!"

"Well, seems we can at least assemble a 3-people team." said Quistis smiling. "Glad our little expedition to the Missile Base was useful for something else."

Squall nodded. "I'll lead the team. Irvine and Rosie will come with me. You both are galbadians and would help us get through. Quistis will take the tactic command of Garden while we're gone." The raven-haired SeeD gulped slightly at the prospect of the brunet man trusting in her supposed knowledge.

"Wait a sec! What about ME?!" Zell's voice had a hard and determined edge none of the SeeDs had heard before. The martial artist took a step forward and said "It's my hometown they're attacking, man. I gotta be on the team!"

"That's right, Squall." said Irvine suddenly, his words surprising everyone as the cowboy normally didn't back up the blond's ideas "He can take my place... I'm sure Rosie's knowledge will be more than enough." He winked at her, not minding the murderous glare the raven-haired sent him.

The Commander took a moment to consider. Zell seemed more than determined to go to Balamb either on the team or by himself. He knew the blond SeeD meant well, but they couldn't risk getting the martial artist out of control... not to mention he possibly knew the town better than the palm of his hand.

Finally, Squall nodded, figuring he could check on Zell's behavior if the brawler was on the squad and at the same time use his knowledge to move swiftly around.

"Yeah! Let's do it!!" yelled Zell excitedly.

ooo ooo

The town's entrance was only guarded by a couple of soldiers, who stood at either side of a grey galbadian-issued vehicle that served as a barricade, blocking the access and allowing the sentries to keep close vigil on those who entered Balamb.

When the soldiers refused to let the SeeDs in without stating their business, Squall decided to pull a little stunt "We're here to deliver a message"

"You can tell me and I'll make sure it gets to its destination." replied one of the sentries stubbornly.

The Commander shook his head "I'm afraid that's not possible. It's a top secret issue."

At this, the galbadian raised an eyebrow – gesture that went unnoticed by the teenagers – and said incredulously "Really? And what would that be?"

"We have urgent info on Ellone." Rosie said in her best imitation of a man's voice. Squall's eyes narrowed at the soldier's sudden change of demeanor. "We have strict orders to deliver this information only to the person in charge of the occupation."

"Uh... y-yeah... I see." Spluttered the trooper as he moved aside allowing them entrance. "Then go ahead, the commander is in the town's hotel." No way he was going to risk get his head cut off for not allowing such important info to get to the recently appointed commander!

The rumor of Okamoto´s death had reached the whole army's ears and the soldiers were terrified to upset the Sorceress or her high officials... two of which were now inside Balamb supervising the search for the infamous mysterious girl named Ellone.

The SeeDs nodded and saluted the sentries quickly before finally stepping into the town's familiar grounds.

Zell let out a relieved sigh as his eyes scanned the town quickly. The situation seemed better than he'd been expecting as the galbadians seemed more concerned with moving supplies to several vehicles parked on the main street and patrolling the area than they did harassing the already scared civilians.

"Guys, do you think we could stop by my Ma's house?" asked the blond SeeD hesitantly.

Rosie turned to look at Squall, who nodded slowly after a brief pause. Zell grinned and thanked them before turning around and walking, as calmly as his actual state of mind allowed him, towards his mother's home.

ooo ooo

Quistis stood at the Garden's bridge.

The blonde woman's stare fixed on the approaching mountains in the eastern part of the tropical island. Squall had ordered that the Garden remained stationed out of Galbadia's range of vision, but close enough to aid the SeeD squad in case there was trouble.

The three SeeDs had arrived at Balamb using the sharpshooter´s most recently acquired Guardian, which he gladly borrowed the Commander for this mission. The Water God's body had formed a bubble around the teenagers ensuring their safety - and a good amount of oxygen - before submerging and swiftly making its way towards the coast.

Afterwards, Nida had steered the Garden east, trying to keep themselves as far from the floating western facility's view as possible.

The SeeDs and cadets had already been warned of the potential danger. Selphie, Xu, Irvine and Rinoa were organizing the Garden's troops according to Squall's strategy and any minute now they'd leave the SeeD facility to establish a control post in the mountains.

Quistis sighed as she prayed to Hyne they wouldn't be needing to use it.

ooo ooo

"What the hell do you want?!" yelled Mrs. Dincht angrily as she spotted the three galbadians sneaking into her house. "You might be in control of the town, but this is MY house!"

"Chill out, Ma! It's me!" when Zell noticed the confused look on the older woman's face, he sighed and took off his helmet.

"ZELL!" yelled his mother happily as she ran to him and pulled her son into a back-breaking hug. "Oh, I'm so glad you're ok!" she broke the embrace, allowing the martial artist to breathe again "B-but how on earth did you manage to get into town?"

The blonde SeeD grinned "It's all in the brains, Ma. We sneaked into town using this uniforms we'd stored at Garden."

"What a relief... I thought you had beaten up some soldiers to get those." The woman shook her head slightly as she said "The galbadians had been menacing the Sorceress will burn the town to the ground if there's any kind of disturbance."

"Is the Sorceress here?" asked Squall removing his helmet.

Mrs. Dincht glanced at the Commander and shrugged "I noticed a woman with the Galbadian army... she'd silver hair and a patch over one of her eyes."

"That's Fujin." said Rosie folding her arms.

"Then maybe Seifer is here too." muttered Squall darkly. He turned his attention to Zell's mother again "What's the situation in town?"

The older woman's eyes narrowed "The galbadians arrived a couple of days ago, they closed the port and started combing the town. I heard they were looking for a girl named Ellone, saying that anyone who had info on her should go to the hotel to inform the commander." Mrs. Dincht shook her head and continued "... but so far they've encountered nothing. Although the situation isn't bad, people are scared and losing control with every passing hour, especially now that the galbadians have taken almost all our supplies."

"They must be thinking on leaving soon." muttered Zell.

"That's not good either." replied Squall "They might burn Balamb once they're out of here."

"Oh, Hyne!" whispered Ma. Dincht "What can we do?"

"Rosie, establish communication with Garden. Tell Quistis to move in the troops and surround the town." ordered Squall, his eyes narrowed as he continued "And tell Nida to bring the Garden into view..."

"What for? There'd be only cadets in there." asked the raven-haired.

The Commander nodded "But the galbadians don't know that."

Rosie smiled widely "Right." She chuckled slightly as she produced the small com device Selphie had arranged for them out of the yellow duffle bag (the same they'd used during the Missile Base mission) Zell was carrying. "No wonder why you're in charge."

Squall lifted an eyebrow at her praise, but said nothing. His eyes settled on her as she talked to Quistis on the small com system, until he realized Zell had been watching his actions. The brunet SeeD deviated his eyes and turned to look at the martial artist, who was sporting a big, cheesy grin.

"What?" snarled Squall annoyed by the brawler's antics.

Zell shrugged "Nothing, man! Geez, chill out a bit."

"All settled. Selphie and the others will be here in about 20 minutes." said Rosie turning to look at her friends. Noticing the odd tension between them, she frowned and asked "Did I miss something?"

"No." replied both SeeDs in unison, gaining an incredulous look from the raven-haired and a chuckle from the older woman.

Squall folded his arms "C'mon, we're going to the hotel. We have to take out their command control before our backup arrives."

ooo ooo

"Sir!" the sentries at Balamb's entrance stood in attention as a grey and blue clad blond man walked towards them.

"Has the Commander delivered the news, sir Almasy?" asked one of them, immediately gaining Seifer's attention.

"What news?" asked the blonde frowning.

"Ah... three of our men have found important info on Ellone, they were going to report their findings to the Commander." replied the soldier, slight anxiety evident in his voice.

"I see." Seifer's frown deepened briefly before a smirk formed in his handsome features. Seemed their fortune was starting to change...

ooo ooo

"We need to see the Commander." said Squall to the quartet of guards positioned at the hotel's main entrance. The troopers exchanged glances between them before the leader took a step towards Squall and said:

"I'm sorry, but we can't let you through without the Captain's clearance."

"Not even with information regarding Ellone?" replied Squall repeating what Rosie had told the soldiers in the latest checkpoint. Again, the words gained a reaction from the galbadians, though this time the stunt didn't work as he had expected.

"Erm... sorry, that's the orders. Even that info has to undergo the Captain's inspection." said the trooper nervously. "He's in charge of the town's security" _And will take full responsibility in case something goes wrong..._

Squall sighed in frustration "Where can we find the Captain?"

"It's his nap ti- I mean, he's on patrol." replied one of the soldiers anxiously "Yeah, he's such a hard-working person! Always on patrol..." he finished with a nervous laugh.

"Sure..." muttered Rosie, keeping her sarcastic commentary as low as possible.

Suddenly, a loud _boom_ was heard, the sound coming from inside the hotel's lobby. The doors opened, pushing the soldiers aside and forcing the SeeDs to retreat to avoid being hit by the tripping galbadians. A bulky, bronze-skinned man fell on his butt in front of them before the door slammed shut.

"Ouch! F-Fujin... c-control your temper, ya know?" his voice rose as he stood up, undusting his pants in the process "I was patrollin' like ya told me, ya know?" The bronze man turned to look at the quickly recovering galbadians and said "Ain't that right, boys?"

"A-aye, sir!" replied one of the soldiers nervously eyeing the bulky teenager, while saluting him quickly. Gulping slightly, he continued "Captain Raijin, these troopers claim to have info on Ellone, sir."

"Really?" Raijin's eyes went wide with surprise before a wide smile spread through his features "Well, you can tell me, ya know?"

Squall, Rosie and Zell turned to look at each other, knowing the game was over. As soon as the martial artist or the Commander talked, the bulky man would recognize them. When Squall motioned for the blond brawler to give him the bag and produced his gunblade from inside it, Zell cracked his knuckles and smirked.

"Time to kick some ass!" said the martial artist as he readied his combat stance.

"Uh?" it took a few seconds for Raijin's brain to fully process what was going on in front of him as he watched the three troopers readying for battle. His eyes widened at the craved lion in the silver gunblade one of them was holding. "Squall?"

"Damn right!" replied the blond brawler as he took off his helmet.

"Zell!" exclaimed Raijin surprised "What are you guys doin' here?!"

"We're here to liberate Balamb, ya know?" said the martial artist mocking the bronze man's tone. "You're going to pay for invading my hometown!"

The galbadian captain chuckled slightly and unsheathed the weapon attached to his broad back: a long, wide bamboo bo, with several tribal designs along its surface. "Seifer told us to give you a whooping if we saw you, ya know?"

"Well then, bring it on!" taunted Zell focusing his angry stare on Raijin.

The galbadian soldiers didn't need to be told twice and bolted towards the SeeDs, weapons raised and ready. Rosie – who had been busy summoning Carbuncle's protection over her and the other two teenagers during the whole exchange – released a Thunder spell on the furthest soldier, his body jolting painfully before he fell unconscious.

Squall whirled around bringing Revolver across a galbadian's torso, the crimson vital fluid spraying all around as he collapsed lifeless to the paved floor. The Commander parried a saber-like sword, before stepping past the soldier and slashing open his back in one fluid motion.

Zell and Raijin were engaged in a fierce fight. The martial artist's fists met the bronze man's bo harshly. The blond brawler grabbed the other's staff and whirled it, the end catching Raijin's chin. The ex-cadet chuckled and kicked Zell's gut, making him take a couple of steps back before bringing up his forearms to parry a powerful blow.

More soldiers came out from the hotel and surrounded the other 2 SeeDs. Squall stepped in front of the raven-haired, who had already unsheathed Reaper in order to defend herself, looking to injure rather than kill. As Revolver danced around the galbadian ranks, the pavement in front of the hotel turned crimson, several bodies laid around as a tribute to the gunblader's deadly skill.

Rosie shot a couple of soldiers, her stomach twitching in tight knots as she saw the blood splashing from their wounded legs. She was about to switch to her previous attacking way when Zell's body hardly slammed against hers, sending both SeeDs to the ground. She yelped in surprise and a little pain as her back collided with a nearby wall with enough force to make a small dent on it; fortunately for her, Carbuncle's protection took most of the blow.

She lifted her gaze as a sudden fierce breeze caressed her face, her eyes widening as she gazed upon a slender feminine figure emerging from the hotel's building, her body surrounded by powerful, fast winds that sent the nearby soldiers flying in all directions.

"She has a GF." The raven-haired whispered to the SeeD next to her. "Can you draw it?"

"No prob, baby!" replied the martial artist helping her stand up before giving her a thumbs up and rushing into the battlefield again.

Fujin looked at the galbadian corpses scattered around the place, her red eye narrowing at the sight of the gunblade one of the troopers wielded. "SQUALL."

The brunet SeeD nodded slightly before removing his helmet and tossing it aside "Where are Seifer and the Sorceress?"

The albino woman produced a round, sharp weapon from her right side. Bringing the chakram upwards, she loudly hissed "RAGE."

Zell dashed towards Fujin, his path however, was cut off by the bulky Raijin. The tanned man smirked and said "We're not through, ya know?"

"We'll see about that." replied the martial artist before meeting the ex-cadet head on. Zell's forearms parried Raijin's quick strikes. The blond ducked under the bo's trajectory before sending his opponent a powerful kick on the shin, making the taller man stumble and fall backwards. Quickly, Zell's mind reached towards Fujin's.

Rosie focused her attention to a couple of nearing soldiers. She gestured forwards, a flash blinding the second soldier as the Thunder spell struck his comrade.

Squall's eyes narrowed as he watched Fujin's arm go up quickly before she released the silver sharp circle. The chakram flew towards the SeeD, who brought Revolver's flat side to parry the blow. The albino woman shook her hand slightly, a powerful gust forming quickly around the brunet SeeD, who quickly applied the technique he'd used on the Com Tower during their battle with Elvoret. Bringing Revolver down, Squall pierced the paved ground enough to use the heavy gunblade as an anchor, his azure eyes narrowed as he focused on the slender figure few meters away from him.

Fujin's arm shot up to parry Squall's Fire spell just as the martial artist's will reached and pulled the powerful entity juncioned to her mind. The albino woman's eye widened as she realized what Zell was trying to do, her whole strength focused on retaining the GF inside her brain, however her effort was futile. The wind entity left her body in a flash of purple and blue before entering the blond brawler's mind.

"PANDEMONA" yelled Fujin angrily as she watched Zell's body sparkle briefly as her former guardian junctioned the SeeD. The powerful spell she'd conjured died instantly and Squall's magical attack reached the woman, enveloping her form briefly before she fell to her knees.

Raijin hurled himself back to his feet. "Fujin!" he called, watching the kneeling woman's body smoking slightly. His fists clenching around his weapon as he dashed towards Zell. To his surprise, the martial artist stepped out of his way with ease, Pandemona's power making him lighter on his feet.

The blond SeeD quickly moved towards Raijin, his left leg kicked the back of his knee, bringing the bulky ex-cadet down. Zell's elbow collided painfully against the bronze man's head, Raijin's vision blurred slightly before he finally collapsed to the floor.

However, before any of the SeeDs had time to celebrate, several footsteps were heard. Rosie turned around and moved towards her comrades as a whole company of galbadians approached them. The three teenagers were surrounded quickly, Squall and Zell positioned themselves behind the galbadian leaders, Revolver aimed at Fujin's throat as the blond grabbed Raijin's still stunned body, holding his arms behind his broad back.

"Well, well, well... look what we have here." Squall's body tensed as the familiar cocky voice reached his ears. The galbadian ranks opened to reveal the smirking Seifer, Hyperion rested on his shoulder as he took confident steps towards the SeeDs. "I must assume you're the ones who supposedly had info on Ellone, right?"

Squall cocked his head to the right a little, in what seemed some kind of nod. "It's over, Seifer."

The Knight snorted "Confident as always." He gestured to the soldiers surrounding the SeeDs and continued "Look around, Squall. Seems I have the upper ha-" his jade green eyes widened slightly as he settled them on the figure standing behind his rival and the blond forgot what he was about to say next.

Though the raven-haired still had the helmet on, Seifer recognized the weapon in her hands instantly. "Kid."

Rosie flinched slightly at the wide smirk that lightened the blond's features, a sense of foreboding invading her whole being. She knew that whenever Seifer sported that particular gesture, it meant most likely trouble.

"Tell you what, Squall." Seifer's gunblade pointed towards the girl standing behind him "I'll spare your lives... if _she_ stays here."

The Commander's eyes narrowed. "What makes you think I'll agree with that?"

"Looks to me, you have no other choice." The Knight replied smugly, motioning to the soldiers to step forward, their weapons up and aiming at the teenagers as they closed the already small circle around the SeeDs.

Seifer's eyes locked with Rosie's as he extended his hand towards her "C'mon, Kid. Make it easy on Chicken-wuss and Puberty-boy."

The raven-haired SeeD was stunned at the drastic change in events, her thoughts flashing at neck-breaking speed. Why did Seifer wanted her to stay there? She doubted it was because he held some kind of feelings for her...

_No, that is not it. _

_But then... what could it be?_

_He isn't even supposed to be here for starters... just Fujin and Raijin. _

_If he's here... does that mean Edea is inside Galbadia Garden right now?! _

The sudden thought made her tremble.

Could the final battle between Galbadia and Balamb Gardens unfold in the little coast town instead of the deserted plains of Centra? And how many casualties would it bring, not only from both rival sides, but also from the people living in Balamb?

How many innocent lives would be lost if that were to happen?

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note:_

_Cliffhanger!! Bwhahahahahaha!! That´s so you stay tuned :D _

_Nah, just kidding! Thanks a lot for your support and patience. This chapter took so long ´cause the Muse of Inspiration took a two weeks leave... but she´s just returned and I´m already half the way of the next chap, so expect another update soon :D_

_Lots of hugs and kisses,_

_Celestial Rage _


	49. Chapter 49 Doubts and Strategies

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 49: Doubts and Strategies**

By CelestialRage

"C'mon, Kid. Make it easy on Chicken-Wuss and Puberty-boy."

Seifer's words made her shudder, especially as the small galbadian battalion stepped forwards, surrounding the already cornered SeeDs. All Rosie could see were the malicious grins on the soldiers' faces as they approached with their polished saber-like swords and heavy rifles ready to kill her and her friends.

_What can I do?_

Her eyes settled on Seifer's extended hand and she unconsciously bit her lower lip. There was something definitely fishy about the Knight's proposal... something wasn't right and she knew it.

Why on Earth did he want her to go with them?

She blinked twice as a familiar voice broke her reverie. "Bring it on!" taunted Zell as he positioned in a ready stance while shielding the raven-haired from view with his body. "Rosie is staying with us."

"We'll se about that, Chicken-wuss." replied Seifer smugly, moving Hyperion until it was in the Knight's familiar attacking position.

Squall's stance tensed.

He'd just finished casting a Sleep spell on Fujin, incapacitating his rival's pose as Raijin still laid unconscious where Zell had left him. The Commander narrowed his eyes and scanned the nearing soldiers, his grip on Revolver hardening as he set his plan in motion.

"Last time I checked you lost the battle." muttered Squall taking a couple of steps forwards, right into the Knight's range of vision.

"Well, we never got to have the rematch." replied Seifer smugly, his attention shifting from the infuriated martial artist to the other gunblader. "You were unconscious, remember?"

The brunet SeeD's eyes narrowed dangerously, his grip on Revolver tightening further as his rival pressed what Squall had supposed would be his next question "You want us to continue our pending business here?"

The Commander's eyes focused on something over Seifer's shoulder briefly, before immediately returning to his rival's face. The SeeD shook his head slightly "Not today."

"What's the matter, Squall?" taunted the Knight amusedly "Afraid your girlfriend will consider you weak if you lose?" Seifer smirked widely at the chuckles his comment had incited between the galbadian ranks and turned his attention to the raven-haired SeeD behind the brunet teenager "You wouldn't, right Kid?"

Fortunately for Rosie, her deep blush was hidden by her helmet.

Squall's voice made the blond man's eyes return to him "I don't think you'll have time for the rematch, Seifer."

The Knight snorted "And why's that, Puberty boy?"

Seifer's trademark smirk died as he watched his rival's lips curl slightly upwards in a very small – but very real – smirk of his own. "´Cause our backup has just arrived."

The arrogant blond turned around as the painful grunts from several injured soldiers suddenly reached his ears. Surely, SeeD forces had just entered Balamb, slashing, thrusting, firing and burning every single galbadian in their path. A growing humming sound made Seifer's green eyes look up and widen at the magnificent and terrifying sight of the approaching Balamb Garden.

The brunet SeeD had efficiently bought his squad precious time.

"It's your call, Seifer." said Squall, locking his cold stare with the Knight's. "What are you going to do now?"

His jade eyes narrowed as the SeeD forces surrounded his thinner ranks. Still, Seifer forced himself to remain as though nothing out of the ordinary was happening, even to the point of his smirk returning "I'm glad to see my old home is safe... the instructors sucked, but I liked the facilities." He said as his eyes focused briefly on Quistis's slender frame before his attention returned to the other gunblader. "So, how many SeeDs do you have there, Puberty boy?"

Squall shrugged, not giving his rival a definite answer.

Let the bastard draw his own conclusions.

"Guess we'll have to wait and see, uh?" Seifer said smiling "But I really doubt you want to fight the whole Galbadian army in the middle of this small town..." his green eyes focused on Zell, who hadn't moved from his position in front of Rosie "... that would be too bad. Who knows how many people could die in the process."

The martial artist tensed visibly at the other blond's remark.

Squall's eyes narrowed "You were going to burn Balamb to a crisp anyway."

Seifer chuckled "Yeah, guess this will only make it more fun... especially since we have audience." His eyes scanned the nearby SeeD's faces as he said the last words.

A brief silent moment passed and all gazes settled on Squall and Seifer.

Rosie could feel her heartbeat at the back of her throat. The change in events had been so sudden her head was still spinning. Her dark eyes scanned the faces of those around, both galbadians and SeeDs... tension evident in all of them.

Zell shifted in front of her, catching the raven-haired's attention. She could only imagine the thoughts flying through the martial artist's mind... this was his hometown! His family and friends resided here as did most of his childhood memories...

... And now, it was about to become a battlefield.

Rosie clenched her fists and set her jaw.

Not if she could help it...

ooo ooo

Edea's amber eyes gleamed with power.

The Sorceress sat in Galbadia Garden's Master Room, her lonely figure was the only occupying the relatively big chamber. Her posture was rigid, as though she was in a deep trance, however this condition was betrayed as a frown was shown in her delicate features.

"SeeD..." hissed the woman venomously. "... curse them all."

A purple aura enveloped the Sorceress's body briefly as she willed her telepathic abilities to reach her Knight.

ooo ooo

Squall's eyes narrowed as Seifer's smug expression grew slightly distant all of a sudden. The blond teenager frowned briefly, tilting his head to the side a little as though he was listening to someone whispering in his ear.

The Knight's gaze wandered again through his ranks and the SeeDs surrounding them before setting it on Balamb Garden's structure. He blinked twice and returned his attention to Squall "Guess we'll call it a draw, Puberty Boy."

The Commander's frown deepened, confusion running through him at his rival's words, though he didn't show it. He knew that when it came to Seifer, one should always expect the unexpected.

Seifer turned to his soldiers "We're pulling out, return to the base." he ordered before glancing at Squall again, his trademark smirk returning in full force "This ain't over, though... we still have unfinished business."

When the brunet SeeD didn't reply, the Knight's attention turned to Rosie "Till we meet again, Kid." He said sheathing Hyperion before scooping Fujin's limp body and carrying her off, while a couple of soldiers did the same with Raijin's heavier frame.

The SeeDs were speechless, relaxing only when the huge red facility glided away.

"Wow! That, I didn't expect." said Xu approaching Squall.

The Commander nodded, folding his arms as his gaze wandered through the still astonished SeeDs standing around. Although he was glad the galbadians had decided to leave Balamb, there was something still bothering him.

He turned to face the girl behind him. Rosie was taking her helmet off, her face had paled and she trembled slightly.

The raven-haired was still in shock. She had been about to agree with Seifer's conditions when the blond man had ordered his men to return to their base. Her knees felt weak and she had to take a seat, her heart still pounding hard in her chest as the thought of the carnage that was barely evaded crossed her mind.

"You ok?" asked Zell concerned, crouching beside her.

She forced a smile "Yeah... don't worry..." After a brief pause, she tilted her head to the side and said "Thanks for standing up for me, Zell."

The martial artist dismissed her thanks with a slight movement of his hand "No prob. There was no way I'd let that bastard take you away." He took a quick glance around before his voice lowered almost to a whisper "Do you think it's because of your-"

"But how would he know about it?" replied the raven-haired in the same volume Zell was using "Not even Squall knows... only the 4 of you."

The martial artist smiled "Well, then I guess Seifer's the stalking type, uh?"

Rosie frowned "That's not encouraging either..."

ooo ooo

Balamb's streets were busy. After being confined to their homes for almost three days, the residents of the small town were busy enjoying the sunlight and fresh air, they'd been denied. The tension had finally vanished and, although they were still frightened that the galbadians might change their minds and return, the people were in relatively good spirits.

Squall and the rest of the 'gang' were at Zell's house, which was currently being used as their operation base. The Commander had ordered to keep a tight vigil over the sea, especially at the east part of the island, so they could spot any kind of vehicles that approached the coast. Several SeeDs were patrolling the town's whereabouts as Squall highly doubted they had seen the last of Seifer... especially since his decision to pull his forces out of town had come very abruptly.

_There's always a catch._

_ I'm still not sure what it is right now..._

_... but I'll figure it out._

Squall's musing was interrupted as Ma Dincht placed a plate with hot soup in front of him. She was saying something about them not eating properly, but the Commander was only half listening. He nodded his thanks, but didn't look at the older woman, instead his gaze drifted briefly to the girl sitting a couple of meters to his right.

Rosie was eating near Selphie and Irvine, the three of them seemed engrossed in a serious conversation for the look on the normally cheerful girls' faces.

Squall noticed the raven-haired had been unusually quiet the entire time they had been assembled at the Dincht's house. His only guess was the girl was still shocked by the latest events, especially by the role she'd played.

_Why does Seifer want Rosie so badly?_

The brunet SeeD's frown deepened.

He could think of why _he_ would have her around, but... there was something else... he could feel it. Seifer was definitely not stupid and he would never back off from a fight that easily without a valid reason. And Squall knew the raven-haired girl didn't qualify as that for the blond Knight.

So, what was the catch?

Why Rosie?

His stormy eyes returned to the plate resting in front of him, before a sudden idea made them lift towards her again.

_Did it have to do with Ellone?_

_ ... No ... _

_Rosie doesn't have Ellone´s ability..._

His memory went back to the first 'Laguna' experience almost three weeks ago on the train to Timber... all of them had fallen asleep...

... except for Rosie.

Squall shook his head.

That didn't prove anything! The second time, neither Zell nor Rinoa had fallen asleep... so that point wasn't valid.

Still, he couldn't think of a better explanation.

The Commander sighed inaudibly, setting the food aside as he'd lost his appetite. Deciding the best way to settle his troubled mind was to go directly to the source of his concern, he stood up and crossed the small living room.

ooo ooo

"So... he wanted you?" asked Selphie frowning as her friend told them the events previous to their arrival.

Rosie nodded before shaking her head slightly "I don't know why though."

Irvine chuckled "Well, doll... I can think of very good reasons for Seifer to drag you with him." The cowboy's comment was rewarded by a very hard jab on his ribs, courtesy of the fragile-looking girl sitting next to him. The sharpshooter grabbed his side in pain, half amused and half surprised of Selphie's strength.

Frowning, the brunette scolded him "Irvine! We're serious!"

"So was I." replied the cowboy smiling.

Selphie rolled her eyes "Nevermind." Her green eyes turned to look at her friend, who seemed deep in thought. "D-do you think he knows?" when Rosie's eyes lifted to meet hers, the brunette continued "You know, about your... condition?"

The raven-haired smiled at her friend's choice of words. "Condition? You make it sound like I'm pregnant or something." The three teenagers laughed briefly, before Rosie's demeanor turned serious again "No... I mean, not even Squall knows. How could Seifer possibly do?"

"Wait a sec... you haven't told Squall?" asked Irvine in all seriousness (which was rare from him). When the raven-haired shook her head slightly, he asked "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Rosie cast her eyes downwards to the plate she held on her lap "I-I don't know..."

True, she felt more comfortable speaking with him now, but still she feared his reaction. How could she be certain of how he'd react? Squall was just too unpredictable for some things... and 'I'm from another dimension and your whole life is a game' was definitely not something she wanted to tell him soon.

The raven-haired wasn't naïve, she knew sooner or later she'd have to tell him. She only prayed the event could be delayed for as long as possible, giving her the chance to be around him until that happened.

"Rosie." Squall's deep voice made her nearly jump out of her skin. She'd been so deep in thought she hadn't heard his footsteps as he approached. She turned to her left, her face rising so she could meet the standing man's eyes. "Come with me."

The raven-haired nodded slightly before setting down her plate on a nearby table and standing up. She exchanged glances with Selphie briefly and biting her lower lip, turned around to follow him.

Both SeeDs exited the Dincht's house. Squall looked around the busy streets before heading towards the desolated town's entrance. He stopped just at the arched passageway and folded his arms, debating how to address the issue at hand.

Rosie's heart gave a somersault as his stormy eyes locked with hers, his stare was so intense she was momentarily stunned. The raven-haired SeeD was so lost in his eyes, she didn't hear the first words, only realizing he was talking to her when she saw his lips move.

"... honest."

"Uh?" Rosie blinked and then blushed slightly at her stupidity. "I'm sorry Squall, I didn't hear you."

"I said, that I'm going to ask you something and I want you to be completely honest."

She nodded, her heart beating at double pace in fear of what he might want to know. Rosie forced herself to settle down enough to coherently say "Go ahead."

"Do you know why Seifer wanted you to go with him?" Squall's tone was cold, sending shivers down her spine.

He locked his gaze with hers. The Commander had learned to read whether people were lying to him simply by observing their facial reactions. If she deviated her gaze to the right, it meant she wasn't telling him the truth.

"No." Her eyes cast downwards as she shook her head. Her brown orbs returned to his face "Why are you asking?"

"Do you have Ellone's power too?" Squall pressed his next question without replying to hers.

"What?!" Rosie's eyes widened. Her head moved to the sides emphatically "No."

_Then why?_

_ Damn! I'm just like in the beginning..._

The Commander's eyes narrowed as he nodded and took a couple of steps pass her. He came to a halt as a slender hand gripped the back of his jacket.

"Squall..."

"I'm sorry. It was the best explanation I had." He replied turning around to look at her smaller frame.

Rosie was lost in his eyes again. Should she tell him about her... how had Selphie called it? Oh, yeah... condition. Could that be really the cause why Seifer wanted to take her away? And if it was, how did the blond Knight got to know about it in the first place? And most importantly... what had Seifer planned for her? Or was it Edea... or rather, Ultimecia who had something in store for her?

Her gut twisted in knots at the thought.

But what if it was just a coincidence? There was no way Seifer could have known about her being from another dimension and the knowledge she carried about this entire conflict. The only ones who knew were her friends... and she trusted them with her life.

_No... they wouldn't betray my secret._

So... what now?

Silence stretched between the two teenagers, Squall's gaze wandered through her face, patiently waiting for her to voice whatever thoughts were crossing her mind. The Commander knew she was having an inner debate, he'd had many of those in his life not to recognize when someone else was.

Rosie's mind whirled with feelings, memories and thoughts. The raven-haired lifted her eyes to meet his as she'd finally reached a decision after weighting her options for what seemed to be an eternity.

"Squall I-"

"Commander!" Joan's voice broke the silent atmosphere between the two teens, both turning their attention towards the approaching figure. The female SeeD came to a halt in front of Squall, quickly saluting her superior while trying to settle her quickening breaths. "W-we have a problem..."

ooo ooo

His heavy footsteps hollowly echoed through the chamber as he approached the still figure. Descending to kneel graciously in front of the dark-cladded woman, Seifer waited in silence to the words he knew will come.

"You did well, my Knight." Her voice cut the silence like a sharp knife, Edea´s amber eyes opened and focused on his handsome face "The men we lost are expendable..."

"We had her." replied Seifer, barely keeping his anger in check as he remembered what he considered had been a complete disaster.

The Sorceress rose from her seat and took a couple of steps towards his kneeling form. Her right hand rested on his shoulder as the left urged him to meet her eyes. "We could have taken the girl, but you better than anyone else know how powerful SeeDs can be, especially in great numbers." Her head shook slightly "We could have lost not only the subject, but also our whole troops and base."

Seifer nodded "You're right, my Sorceress. But we won't have another chance. Puberty Boy is most likely drawing conclusions right now... Our only choice available is Ellone."

Edea smiled "True. But she'll be more than enough."

ooo ooo

Squall's frown deepened at the sight before him.

The precious SeeD battleships used on the Field Test were completely wrecked. Apparently the Galbadians had found the large hangar Garden had built in the small hill next to Balamb town and had blown up the vehicles.

The Commander had to give them a point, as the battleships were too bulky to fit inside Galbadia Garden, especially with the weaponry he was sure they were carrying and Squall hated to admit he'd have done the same in their condition. Still, the loss of the water-bound vehicles was a pity as they could have proven quite worthy in later battles.

Selphie, Nida, and Dante walked from the inside of one of the wrecked ships, the 3 SeeDs formed the tech squad in charge of evaluating the damage done to the vessels. The tiny brunette girl shook her head lightly as she stopped in front of their leader. "There's no way we could repair them... at least in the next month."

"All the circuits are burnt and the armor is severely damaged... " added Dante handing Squall a scorched piece of metal belonging to one of the vessels' hard exterior.

"We'll spend at least a million gil to get them ready." said Xu after finishing her check on the damage report Nida had delivered her. She turned to look at the Commander and continued "I'm sure the FH technicians would be able to do the job."

Squall nodded. "Regardless, we can't spend that money right now." His gaze shifted from the wrecked battleships to the sun setting over the ocean "Not when we don't know how long this conflict with Galbadia will take."

ooo ooo

The salty breeze caressed her face, catching the end of her high ponytail. Rosie´s eyes were settled on the dying sun as her feet played absently with the relatively warm waters below the pier.

The raven-haired had decided to stay there while Squall went to check on whatever problem the other SeeDs had encountered. As she watched him walk away, the weight of her decision finally settled on her, making her previous resolve vanish like smoke.

Rosie bit her lip as the most probable outcome played inside her mind again. If she told him the truth, it could mean losing Squall's trust and probably her status as a SeeD... and that could imply her staying behind while the others kept fighting Ultimecia and Seifer.

The raven-haired shook her head.

_I can't let that happen... _

_ ... there's so much to loose. _

ooo ooo

"They've been outside for a while." said Quistis glancing at the men sitting on the other side of the small table.

Irvine nodded "Probably Rosie is finally telling him the truth."

The blonde woman shook her head slightly "I just hope Squall will take it easy on her."

"Yeah, she really needed guts to tell us... I can imagine how hard it would be to tell _him_." added Zell smiling weakly "Squall isn't too fond of surprises and surely knowing that Rosie's from another dimension wouldn't be something easy to-"

The sound of a breaking glass made the 3 SeeDs jump in their seats. Their heads whipped in the direction of the sound to find Rinoa standing a meter from them. Her astonished expression spoke volumes and Zell cringed inwardly as he realized he'd just blown his friend's secret.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note:_

_Hey everybody!!_

_Hope you all had a very happy XMas with lots and lots of fun and presents. Sorry this chapter wasn´t ready for that day, but with holiday coming, I had lots of things to do. Anyway, consider this a late (but still) XMas present for all of you from yours truly!_

_Thanks again to all the reviewers, especially the new ones, I´m so happy you´re liking the story so far. It makes all the hard work hours worth :D_

_So... here´s another small cliffhanger. But this time it´s not as edgy as the last one, right? Right? That means I want comments and yeah, I´m referring to you, my dear ADarkKnight. :D_

_Well, remember to express yourselves freely, kay? You all know I appreciate your opinions whether good or bad, ´cause they make me grow._

_Lots of love,_

_Celestial Rage_


	50. Chapter 50 Reality or Fantasy?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 50: Reality or Fantasy?**

By CelestialRage

"She's from... where?!" Rinoa's high-pitched voice made Zell cringe inwardly. He just couldn't believe his rotten luck! The raven-haired girl wasn't even supposed to be there for starters... she was a civilian, for Hyne's sake!

"What do you mean?" asked Quistis casually, gaining a glare from the other girl in the room.

"C´mon, Quistis! I'm talking about what Zell said just now." Rinoa replied placing her hands on her hips, a motion the SeeDs recognized as her patented 'don't bullshit me' stance.

When the other teenagers remained silent, evading the raven-haired's stare the best they could, Rinoa sighed and forced a smile "Fine." She said before bending down and retrieving the pieces of what once had been one of Ma. Dincht's glasses. Holding the broken shards in her hands, she turned around and said "If you won't tell me, then I guess I'll just go ask Squall."

"Rinoa" the raven-haired girl turned her head enough to regard Quistis, who had stood up and looked at her with piercing blue eyes. The blonde ex-instructor sighed and muttered "Maybe you should have a seat."

ooo ooo

"Hey, Rosie!" As the sound of the familiar voice reached her ears, the female SeeD smiled and turned to regard her approaching friend.

"Hiya, Selphie" greeted the raven-haired as the tiny girl plopped down beside her on the pier. Rosie's eyes were drawn to the other SeeDs in the group her brunette friend had just been with. Nida, Dante and Xu smiled in her direction – gesture she returned – as they passed by, apparently engrossed in a serious conversation with the Commander, who just spared her a glance and returned to his duties.

Rosie's heart cringed as she watched him walk away... she'd been so close to telling him the truth about herself! But her resolve had vanished, taking the small amount of courage she'd managed to gather with it and leaving her feeling ashamed at her weakness and quite guilty for holding a secret that could aid her friends greatly in the future.

"You didn't tell him, did ya?"

The raven-haired jumped visibly at her friend's question. Turning to look at Selphie's face, Rosie wasn't surprised to find a warm, sympathetic smile on the brunette's pretty features.

"You wouldn't be this tense if you had." added the tiny SeeD shrugging slightly and looking at her friend's saddened expression.

Rosie lowered her head, deviating her gaze from the emerald depths of Selphie's eyes to the turquoise waters a couple of feet below. "I-I..." her voice was barely above a whisper as she finally elaborated "... I couldn't." Her cheeks tinted pink as shame swelled inside her once more "I'm so weak..." Her eyes closed, trying hard to contain the emotion overwhelming her heart "... I _really_ tried to tell him, but..." her next words were lost when the warmth coming from a friendly hand rested on her shoulder.

Rosie forced herself to lift her gaze once more and settle it on the brunette, the only one who had been with her since the beginning of this weird adventure. Analyzing the girl in front of her for the first time, the raven-haired realized she and Selphie were alike in many ways and – even though they held significant differences – both shared a real friendship. One that could not be measured in time, but in common experiences, thoughts and feelings... in other words, it had the quality best friendships were made of. Both girls had bonded since day one and had grown even closer since then, so much, Rosie considered the other SeeD to be like her sister.

She knew deep in her heart that if there was one person in this – or any other – world that could possibly understand her, that was Selphie.

Tears began to flow from her dark eyes as she voiced what her heart had known all along, knowing no more explanations would be needed "I love him, Selph."

Pulling the raven-haired into a tight hug, the tiny SeeD smiled wider "I know."

"I don't want to lose him..." Rosie's voice was hardly audible due to her sobs and the fact her face was partially buried in the brunette girl's shoulder.

Selphie untangled herself from her friend and frowned slightly "But if you don't tell him and he happens to find out... it would be even worse."

"I know... that's why you have to promise not to tell him anything." Rosie gripped the brunette's shoulders, her eyes reflected the fear engulfing her heart "_Please_, Selph."

The tiny SeeD remained silent for a minute, her emerald gaze shifted from the raven-haired in front of her to the SeeD group that had gathered outside the town's center. Squall seemed to be delivering orders and receiving reports from the rest of the teenagers around him.

Selphie had noticed how the stoic Commander seemed a little less cold whenever he was around them and not because any of the others had managed to influence him as much as Rosie had. He was slowly opening up, something the raven-haired had achieved and everyone else thanked. That was mainly the reason Selphie was so reluctant to keep her friend's secret any longer... she knew that if Squall found out about Rosie's origins second hand, he'd most likely feel betrayed and return to his cold (well, colder), untrusting older self without a second thought and, of course, denying anyone else a second chance to try and get him out of his proverbial shell again.

Squall – whether he accepted it or not – was her friend and even when Selphie couldn't quite understand him most of the time, she knew he was a good person. Besides, it was just her nature to try and help those around her and the normally stoic teenager was definitely not an exception.

However... Rosie's life was also involved in this issue.

And whether she liked it or not, Selphie knew it was not her decision to make... the only thing she could do was stand by her friends, encourage them and hope for the better.

But with those two... only Hyne knew what the outcome would be.

"Fine." replied the brunette finally. She looked at her friend's face once more and – in a very un-Selphie serious tone – said "But you have to promise me you'll tell him the truth... I'm not asking you to do it right now. I know you're still not ready... but eventually you will and you **must** promise you won't back up next time."

Rosie nodded slowly, the brunette's seriousness had caught her completely offguard and she had to remind herself her hyper friend could be very mature too. "I promise I will, Selphie." A very small, but truthful smile lightened the raven-haired's features briefly "Thanks."

ooo ooo

"You guys are kidding me, right?" Rinoa smiled nervously, her dark gaze shifted from one SeeD to the other, waiting for any of them to chuckle and tell her it was all a cruel, sick joke.

Hell, it _had_ to be a joke!

Quistis shook her head slowly "I'm afraid that's the truth. I know it's hard to accept, but-"

"Wait a minute!" interrupted the raven-haired sharply. "You're telling me all this is a game?" she asked as she motioned to their surroundings.

"Well... at least in Rosie's world it is. My bet is that hers is more like a parallel universe or something like that." replied Zell, gaining the teens´ attention. Scratching the back of his head, the martial artist continued "I read an article Dr. Odine wrote once about that kind of stuff. I don't really remember the details right now, but..."

"Maybe we should go ask this Odine guy, don't ya think?" suggested Irvine rearranging his black trademark hat over his head.

Quistis nodded "Seems like the most viable route."

"Then, what are we waiting for?" asked Rinoa when the SeeDs said nothing more "Let's tell Squall!"

Zell shook his head emphatically "We can't."

The raven-haired frowned, looking completely exhasperated "Why not?"

"If Rosie hasn't told him yet, we can't do a thing." replied the cowboy casually. He shrugged and added "It's not our place to tell him that."

Rinoa folded her arms "So you're telling me we'll just have to sit down and wait until she decides to tell him the truth?"

"Yeah, basically." replied the sharpshooter grinning.

"I can't believe you, guys!" snapped angrily the raven-haired "It's our lives we're talking about here!"

"No." Quistis's calm voice made the enraged girl turn to regard the blonde "It's Rosie's life we're talking about." The ex-instructor shook her head lightly as she added "I know it's hard, Rinoa... but I also believe that's the least she deserves."

"Rosie has helped us a bunch." added Zell nodding in agreement. "And she didn't even had to."

"She was the one to guide us so we could save you from the Iguion, remember? Not to mention thanks to her we were able to save Trabia and Balamb Gardens." said Irvine smiling "I guess if the lady wants to be left alone about it, she's more than gained the right to."

After a couple of silent minutes, Rinoa finally sighed and said "I guess you're right." placing her hands on her hips, she added "But that doesn't mean I'm okay with it."

Quistis shrugged "Well, we all have to deal with it."

The sound of the door opening made the teenagers shift their attention to the bouncing tiny figure that had just entered the Dincht's residence. "Hey, guys!" greeted the brunette happily, her smiling face darkened with worry as she noticed the odd tension in the room. "Did we miss something?"

"Nothing" Rinoa's eyes settled briefly on the taller figure standing behind Selphie before excusing herself and walking out of the living room.

Rosie glanced at the other raven-haired as she walked off, her dark eyes turning to regard her friends' faces for a moment before she finally folded her arms and asked "Okay, what's going on here?"

Zell sighed deeply, slouching slightly and adverting his eyes to the floor to evade the raven-haired SeeD's gaze "I'm sorry, Rosie. It was my fault..."

"What was?" asked a deep male voice making everyone turn to regard the approaching speaker. Squall had just entered the room along with Xu, who seemed to be going over what appeared to be a list. The Commander's frown deepened as he noticed the shocked – and strangely, fearful – look not only on the martial artist's face, but on the other teenagers. Certainly puzzled by this, the ranking SeeD decided to repeat his query "What was your fault, Zell?"

ooo ooo

Cid nodded as Joan finished her report. He still couldn't believe all their battleships had been destroyed! Fortunately, thanks to Squall's planning a confrontation with the Galbadian army could be avoided, sparing not only civilian lives but also those from the small SeeD garrison still inside Garden's walls.

The war hadn't even properly started, yet the price was quickly becoming much to bear.

His wife

His kids

His dreams and achievements

The Headmaster shook his head slightly. He knew whatever Hyne had planned the outcome of this conflict to be, his life would never be the same.

ooo ooo

"Eh... well..." Zell´s mind raced trying to come out with a plausible explanation without blowing more info in the process, when Quistis came forward to save him from his predicament.

"I beat him most of Rosie's cards in a Triple Triad game." lied the blonde SeeD smiling slightly. She shrugged and added "I didn't know he was playing with another one's deck."

"Zell!" pouted the raven-haired folding her arms and playing along with her friend's lead "I can't believe you lost my cards!" She said in her most indignated tone, trying hard to stifle the chuckle threatening to escape her at the martial artist's distraught look.

"I-I'm sorry!" replied the blond brawler slouching further "I promise I'll replace them!"

"Well, you better." said Rosie still feigning her anger as best as she could.

Squall rubbed his temple.

He should have seen something like that coming... but for a second, it seemed the issue was a lot more important than just some stupid Triple Triad cards. He still couldn't believe some people took that game so seriously! Sure, he had a very decent deck himself, but he wasn't a fanatic as other Garden students were famed to be.

"Seriously, Zell..." added Xu frowning "... I didn't know you were that kind of player. Guess you could say goodbye to your CC Group membership."

The martial artist's mouth hanged ajar at the dark-haired SeeD's menace. "SAY WHAT?!"

Quistis eyes widened briefly before regaining her normally calm demeanor "Oh, c'mon Xu." said the ex-instructor sweetly "I'm sure this incident won't repeat."

"Yeah!" added Rosie suddenly "And besides, he's already promised to replace them. That has to count too, right?"

Xu rolled her eyes "Well, since you're the victim here and seems you're on his side..." her eyes settled briefly on Quistis and she shrugged "... I guess I can pass that over."

Zell grinned widely. "Thanks, Xu!"

"Whatever." Squall muttered more for himself than for the others in the room. His stormy eyes wandered from one SeeD to the other "I just came to tell you we're returning to Garden. We'll leave Balamb tomorrow morning."

The teenagers nodded in understanding and the Commander turned to leave. He had barely taken a couple of steps when a hesitant, female voice made him stop dead on his tracks.

"Erm... Squall?" Selphie fidgeted nervously with her hands as she hesitantly approached the brunet SeeD. When their leader didn't reply, the tiny girl continued "Have you decided on a destination?"

The Commander nodded slowly. "Trabia Garden."

Selphie's eyes widened and an impossibly huge grin lightened her face "Really?!" she squealed in delight. When Squall nodded again, the tiny brunette jumped repeatedly in her place "Yay! I'm going home!"

Rosie smiled at her friend's antics, knowing how much she missed her Garden. The raven-haired was even happier Selphie wouldn't be greeted by her home's destroyed image any time soon.

She knew it was a sight she really didn't want to see either.

ooo ooo

True to Squall's words, Balamb Garden set sail the next morning. Zell was in better spirits as he was able to spend the afternoon and part of the evening with his mother before returning to their base so he wasn't left behind.

Rosie chuckled as Irvine told her and Selphie the way a group of girls had practically stalked the martial artist just outside the Library, trying to gather info on his likes for a supposed 'Let's find more about Zell committee'.

Her laughter died down as she spotted Rinoa walking inside the cafeteria. The raven-haired girl's eyes wandered through the place, but as soon as she came into Rosie's figure, she turned around and walked off quickly.

"What's with her?" muttered Rosie frowning.

"Uh?" asked Selphie glancing at her friend. "What do you mean?"

The raven-haired SeeD turned to look at the tiny brunette "Rinoa."

Irvine shrugged "Guess she's still pissed off at you for not telling Squall about you–know–what."

"But that's something that doesn't even concern her!" Rosie's voice was a tad louder than she'd pretended, gaining some stares from the nearby cadets. She blushed slightly muttering an apology before returning her attention to her friends.

After the Commander and Xu had left the room, Zell had confessed he'd accidentally blown off her secret to the – in Rosie's opinion – worst possible person... of course, after discarding Squall. The raven-haired had been devastated by the news, her mind racing with thoughts of Rinoa using this bit piece of info to make her life a living hell.

However, once the initial panic wave had finally dispersed, Rosie realized that – despite their relationship wasn't (and probably would never be) as close as with Quistis or Selphie – the other raven-haired girl wasn't one to really resort to blackmail or that kind of dirty tricks.

What really worried Rosie was the fact that Rinoa was even worse at keeping secrets than Zell... and that was BAD.

Very, very, very BAD.

The last thing she needed right now (or ever) was having Squall find out about her secret from none other source than Rinoa's mouth...

As this thought flashed through her mind, Rosie jumped from her seat and nervously said "I think I should go talk to her."

"Yeah, that may be the best thing to do." replied the cowboy nodding and placing his arm across Selphie chair's back.

ooo ooo

"At our current speed, we´ll be arriving to Trabia Garden in 3 days." said Nida, sparing a glance at Xu, who nodded in understanding and returned her attention to the other 2 room's occupants.

Cid glanced at the vast ocean ahead and smiled. Their chances of getting support from the Trabian SeeDs were almost certain, thus increasing their man power considerably. "Once we are at Trabia, we can send messages to the dispatched SeeDs." said the Headmaster turning to regard the Commander and Xu "The time for their return has finally arrived."

The female SeeD nodded "We'll use the Garden Network installed in Trabia... since ours was destroyed when the missiles struck."

"What about the Galbadians?" asked Squall folding his arms "Could they access our network from their facility?"

"They could access the main stream." replied Xu calmly before smiling and adding "But we can open a safe channel to address only the desired SeeDs, so our message won't fall into wrong hands."

The Commander nodded in understanding before setting his cold gaze in the equally cold waters several meters below their position on the bridge.

ooo ooo

"Rinoa..."

The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes as the familiar voice called her name. She settled the book she'd been reading on the table in front of her and turned her head to regard the speaker.

Rosie bit her lower lip briefly before taking a couple of steps near the other girl and taking a seat beside her on the study area in the Library. The SeeD took a deep breath, her gaze deviating from the other girl's face to the book laying on the table. Guilt swelled inside Rosie once more as the title registered in her mind: _The Quantum Multiverse theory_, certainly not the type of literature Rinoa frequented.

"I..." her voice sounded weak as she forced herself to finally break the uncomfortable silence that had settled between them "... I don't know what to say."

Well, at least, she was trying...

Rinoa snorted. "How about 'Sorry for not telling Squall I'm a freak from a different world so you can finally go see Dr. Odine and soothe your mind?' I think that would be quite a good start."

Rosie shook her head "Rinoa... I'm sorry." Her gaze finally met the other girl's narrowed eyes "I know this whole thing is pretty confusing-"

"You know what it means?" interrupted the other raven-haired harshly. When the SeeD didn't reply, Rinoa continued "My whole life is a lie! All the tragedies and good moments I've experienced are nothing more than part of a plot!" her voice had been increasing its volume through her heated speech, gaining the attention of the other cadets and SeeDs inside the Library.

Rosie looked nervously around, forcing a smile at the curious students before returning her attention to the still fuming girl beside her. "Do you really _believe_ that?"

"Well, you said it. This is a game, isn't it?" replied Rinoa lowering her voice too.

"In my world it is. But that doesn't mean it's a lie... I **never** said that." said the raven-haired SeeD, her dark eyes narrowed dangerously for a second before softening again. She could understand Rinoa's apprehension and confusion on the matter. Hell, she'd probably be the same in her place!

"There are so many things about this world I've never seen before..." added Rosie softly, deviating her gaze towards the nearby bookstands "... so many details, colors, textures that just escape me." She shook her head slightly making the end of her ponytail sway "It just can't be someone's imagination doing all of this. I'm the first one to _believe_ this is _real._"

_It has to be..._

"Look around you, Rinoa." continued the SeeD motioning to the other students, who had already seemed to forget about the raven-haired girls and resumed whatever they were doing before being interrupted "I don't know half the names of the students in Garden, who they are, their concerns, likes... "her voice became lower as the reality of her surroundings struck her with more force than ever.

True, she'd appreciated the details and situations she'd missed during the game but never had she _really_ thought about the oddity of her situation. Rosie had just thanked the opportunity to live this fantasy so fully... though never actually questioning the _why _and _how_ of the whole thing.

Now, confronted by the last person she'd though would actually make her consider any issue seriously, Rosie couldn't help but start feeling the same uneasiness Rinoa had been experiencing since yesterday's afternoon.

Everything about this world fitted... except herself.

What if _she_ was the one who wasn't real?

The idea was ridiculous, simply laughable... but... somehow, she felt it was remotely possible.

She'd seen once a movie where Robin Williams' character was dead and once in Paradise, his mind made an entire world out of paintings he'd loved through his life. What if she was dead and this was her version of paradise?

A frown formed on her face as the last memory she held before opening her eyes in this world flashed through her mind.

Pain...

.. and a blinding white light.

Her first thought once she'd regained consciousness had been she was dead...

Maybe... she was indeed.

Who can guarantee she wasn't either dead or laying comatose on a hospital bed? Maybe she was submerged in a never-ending dream and her brain was doing all this...

Bile rose to her mouth and Rosie set her jaw firmly to avoid tossing her cookies right there and then. The sudden idea that had plagued her mind made her entire body shudder and a terrible nauseous feeling spread through her gut. Shaking, the raven-haired SeeD stood up and turned to leave before a slender hand grabbed her upper arm tightly.

"Are you okay?" Rinoa's concerned tone made her stomach twist in a tighter knot.

Rosie only nodded in reply and, after a monumental effort to settle her clenching gut enough so she could speak, said "I'll see ya later, kay?"

The other raven-haired girl nodded slightly and released the SeeD without another word. The sudden change of demeanor and distraught look on Rosie's face had surely confused Rinoa, but she decided to let the girl be for the time being.

The truth was, she'd never seen that frightened look on the other girl's eyes before. Not even when Squall was injured by Edea...

What could possibly have scared Rosie so much?

ooo ooo

Her steps mixed with dozen's of others as she made her way through Garden's main structure. Although her gaze was settled forwards, her eyes barely detected her surroundings, blinded by the images her brain presented her.

Keanu Revees and Laurence Fishbourne in Matrix

_What is real?_

_How can you define what's real?_

_If you say it's what you can see, taste, smell and touch... _

_... those are just electric impulses ... _

Then what _was_ real?

Was all this just a product of her mind? Was her imagination really _this_ active? She highly doubted it, however, with all the weird things that had happened lately and all the doubts circling her mind, she couldn't have the luxury of discarding any idea right now.

At this moment, she needed an affirmation of her sanity, of her life...

... ironically she'd find it only in the madness of death.

Clenching her fists tighter, Rosie took a deep breath before stepping inside the Training Center.

"This is a completely different world. There's no way it's just my imagination doing this..." muttered the raven-haired as she left the safety area while releasing her gun's security lock. The words were repeated as a sanity-keeping mantra, the low sound mixing with her footsteps on the jungle ground and the occasional cry of the wild creatures hiding between the foliage.

Suddenly, a loud hiss made her turn to her left, finding a Grat just a couple of meters from her position. The giant plant repeated its menacing sound and lunged for the apparently stunned girl in front of it. One of its vines wrapped itself around Rosie's left arm, gripping it tightly and painfully marking the SeeD's exposed skin.

The raven-haired clenched her teeth as the pain registered. True, she'd been injured before, but never had she _really _stopped to think about it. She'd heard once someone say that you should be happy to feel pain, 'cause it meant you were still alive...

But was it true?

Was it that simple?

The Grat hissed again, pulling the girl towards it slowly, another vine wrapped around her throat, efficiently cutting her air supply. Rosie's right hand released Reaper, clutching the green tendril instead.

Adrenaline shot through her body like an electric current, quickening her pulse and sharpening her senses almost to a point it was painful. Her natural instinct told her to fight her attacker, to catch her breath before it was late...

... but she didn't move.

Her eyes narrowed as her nostrils widened trying to inhale as much air as possible. Rosie almost laughed as she realized preservation instinct was something awesome. Even when she was unwilling to fight, her natural reactions betrayed her mind's wish, trying to keep her body's systems up and running.

Her eyes started to flutter close and she could hear her heart beating at a slower pace inside her ears. Her mind felt a little numb and light and suddenly a thought flashed through her groggy brain.

_I'm dying..._

Could the mind betray the body to a point of making it believe it was dying?

Could you die if you're already dead?

"ROSIE!"

Snapping her eyes open, the raven-haired SeeD channeled her remaining energy to her fingertips. Flames enveloped the tendril holding her throat and traveled all the way towards the monster. The Grat hissed painfully as its body heated with incredible speed.

The vines released Rosie and she felt to the ground with a thud, coughing her lungs out as she tried to catch her much needed breath. Her shivering shoulders were rudely caught in an iron-like grip and her heart missed a beat as she found herself staring into narrowed stormy orbs.

"What the hell was that?" roared Squall, shaking her lithe form in rage.

"Nothing..." replied weakly Rosie between raged breaths.

"Nothing?! You could have died!"

Finally settling her racing heart, she muttered "But I didn't."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

His voice was full of anger and Rosie flinched at the vicious glare he was sending her. How can she begin to explain her reasons for this 'incident'? He wouldn't understand... but she knew she'd to prove a point: she was alive, she was real, she was trapped inside another world and it was not a product of her mind.

Why did she have to come to this extent to finally realize it was simple: only when facing death, do we really understand the world around us... we only feel entirely alive when we push our limits... and death was the final limit.

Was it a stupid thing to do?

Definitely yes.

Was it necessary?

Maybe not... but she knew she'd go crazy unless she finally cleared the issue once and for all instead of keep thinking about it every minute.

"I'm sorry, Squall." muttered Rosie, deviating her gaze to the jungle's ground. "I don't know what happened."

The Commander's frown deepened as he glanced at the girl in front of him. The raven-haired had been acting strangely since the whole incident in Balamb with Seifer and he couldn't fathom why.

What was making Rosie act so irrationally?

Why was he so angry about the whole incident?

Why was his heart beating at double pace and his stomach clenched?

Why did he even care about what was going on through her head?

"What are you doing here?" her voice made Squall's muse end and his attention return to her face, noticing her natural color was returning.

_What does it look like?_ He thought angrily, his head still pumping as adrenaline slowly stopped coursing through his veins. "I came to train."

_And I found you almost dead in the clutches of a damn Grat!_

Rosie's eyes drifted from his face to the familiar gunblade held securely in its master's hand. She didn't know why, but everything seemed so new to her right now... maybe it was just the fact she'd finally _understood_ the magnitude of the situation she was involved in.

She'd just proved she could die.

If it were a dream... she would have woken up, right?

If she was dead... then she wouldn't have felt anything, right?

Maybe she'd been so daredevil before because somewhere in her mind she had believed she was untouchable. She knew everything about this world... or so she had thought. But the latest events had rocked her world in a way she'd never thought possible. Sure, she had changed some events, saving many lives and achieving some personal goals like going with Squall to the concert, but somehow she'd never stopped to _analyze_ the situation before launching herself face-first into it.

So far, she'd been very lucky.

But it was not just herself... her friends had been too. The realization made her heart clench in a tight fist. They could die any day too! If Rosie and Rinoa hadn't worked so hard fixing Squall's injury back in Deling City... he would have ...

Her eyes returned to his face to muffle the thought that was just flashing through her mind with his image. He was there, alive, safe... and real.

And still holding that vicious glare in her general direction.

The stupidity of her latest action struck her in full force, making her blush a little and deviate her gaze once more. How could she risk her life in such a pathetic way? Because let's face it, dying due to a Grat attack when you've already battled against a Sorceress is _really_ pathetic.

Despite the oddity and seriousness of the situation, a small smile crept to her face as the last thought coursed through her mind.

"What's so amusing?"

Squall's cold voice made her turn to look at him again. "It's just... well, a Grat attack isn't one of the highest death causes of SeeDs, right?"

The Commander remained silent, his frown deepened and Rosie figured he found nothing amusing about her commentary. Not that Squall normally found something to be amusing...

The raven-haired sighed. "Look, I'm sorry..."

"Whatever." He replied sharply as he stood up.

"Why are you so mad about it?" asked Rosie following his example. She could see his body was tense and the look in his eyes... honestly frightened her.

"Why does it matter?" snapped the Commander angrily turning his back on her.

The raven-haired circled him until she came face to face with him again. "Because it's really annoying! And I want to know why!"

"Really?" his tone became even colder.

"Yeah." Rosie stood on her toes to face him more directly, refusing to back down and tensing her body, steeling herself for his reaction.

She was prepared for everything...

... except what happened next.

His right arm quickly went around her waist, pulling her into a surprise, forceful kiss.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note:_

_OMG!! Helluva way to start the new year, uh? I bet you weren´t expecting that ending in the least :D But hey! It´s chapter 50 and that´s something special! Besides, I consider the ground for this event had been preparing since a long while ago... he just needed a little push! Guess Squall just realized (at least in a very basic, reptilian level) he really cares about her._

_I gotta confess, this event wasn´t going to happen this early in the story, but half way through the chapter my fingers just seemed to get a life of their own and before I knew it... they were already into it. Well, that´s how the best things happen in real life... when you less expect something to happen it surprises you :D_

_Hope you liked this chapter... I´m not really too sure about the phylosophical mumbo-jumbo I wrote, just hope I did it right to portrait Rosie´s anguish the most understandable way._

_As always, your comments on this or any other issue are always welcomed and very appreciated._

_Happy New Year everyone! And hope you didn´t drink too much yesterday ;D_

_Lots of hugs and kisses,_

_Celestial Rage_


	51. Chapter 51 Nothing more than feelings

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 51: Nothing more than Feelings**

By CelestialRage

The whole world seemed to stop at that instant, all her surroundings zeroing in the sweet warmth pressed harshly against her slightly opened mouth. The raven-haired was completely stunned. Never in a million years would she believe _this_ was actually happening.

Squall Leonhart was _kissing_ her.

HER!

Of all people!

Sure, she´d fantasiazed with it a thousand times before, though to be completely honest, her fantasies never included the Training Center and the burning corpse of a Grat in the picture.

Rosie´s head spun, still trying to comprehend what was happening. Last thing she remembered was arguing with Squall before he pulled her towards him. The move had been so sudden, she couldn´t help but yelp in surprise, the sound muffled by his mouth over hers.

And now, she stood here... barely on her tiptoes as most of her weight was supported by his right hand resting around her waist while his left still held his trademark gunblade. Her hands hadn´t found support due to his sudden motion and laid immobile at her sides as she found no strenght at all to move even the tinniest muscle. His musky cologne filled her nostrils and she could feel the fast beating of his heart against hers.

She didn´t know how long it take for her to register all those things... though she considered not much, as even before she could close her eyes to bask into the feeling, the kiss ended as suddenly as it had begun when Squall pulled away.

The Commander´s expression remained as emotionless as ever, his eyes – however – spoke a completely different language. Rosie stood breathless in front of him, gazing at the stormy orbs and all the emotions reflecting in them until he abruptly broke the eye contact and sheathed Revolver before hurriedly walking out of the Training Center.

The raven-haired tried to call him out, but no voice came and with her limbs feeling like jelly thanks to the shock she´d just received, Rosie really doubted she could manage even a single step without falling flat on her face, thus leaving her no other choice but to watch him walk away.

Her right hand ascended to her face, her index finger resting on her lower lip where the slight and alien tingle Squall´s mouth had left on hers was the only prove she held that the last minute´s events were true and not a figment of her active imagination.

"... he kissed me ..." her voice was monotone and so low even Rosie had a hard time hearing herself. "... he REALLY kissed ME!"

An imposibly huge grin spread through her features when realization finally hit. The raven-haired blinked twice, waking from her shocked trance-like state, smiling widely and holding her head with both hands as though fearing it would explode from the sudden rush of emotions coursing through her veins.

"HE KISSED ME!!"

ooo ooo

Squall´s thoughts were completely mixed.

His surroundings and the people walking pass him were nothing but a colorful blur as he stormed through Garden´s main hall towards the dormitories´ wing.

He needed solitude to sort out everything that was revolving inside him, threatening to shred him to pieces like a huge emotional tsunami. The truth was, the Commander had never felt so lost in his whole life.

Hell, he had never _felt_ so much in his whole life!

Anger, fear, confusion, shame, sadness and other emotions he wasn´t familiar with, all of them were present at that precise moment. Some more powerful than others, but still they were there, making his whole being painfully overloaded with feelings, something he wasn´t used to in the least.

Bolting shut his dorm´s door, Squall rested his back against it and held his head on his right palm, breathing deep to try and settle his racing heart and swirling mind in the process.

_Why?_

_Why am I feeling all this?_

_And why in Diablos´ name did I do something as stupid as that?!_

The shocked look on Rosie´s face played for his mind´s eye for the thousandth time and he couldn´t help the heat that suddenly rushed to his face. He still couldn´t believe he´d acted like that! Such a stunt was proper of Irvine, not himself.

It was the first time he had _really_ acted on impulse. Not even during his heated matches with Seifer, when adrenaline was quickly pumping through his veins and anger tensed every muscle in his body, had Squall lost his head and done something he´d regret later. Every action he´d taken through his entire life had a cold logical side to it...

... except this.

What had provoqued that reaction in him?

Were the last minutes´ events the ones to blame?

Sure, he´d been angry with Rosie for her stupid stunt back in the Training Center... but why the hell did he even care? It was her life after all, not his.

Maybe it was just because he´d realized she could easily do that in the battlefield, exposing not only herself, but also their comrades...

.. the odd thing was if Zell had done the same, he wouldn´t be as half as pissed as he was right now... and certainly he wouldn´t have felt inclined to kiss the martial artist!

That was other thing bothering him.

Why kiss her?

Why had his impulse been precisely _that_?

With all the emotions overwhelming his entire system, the idea, the _desire_ or pulling her to him flashed in his mind, muffling his other thoughts for a brief, yet very powerful moment. He wanted and _needed_ to feel her, to know she was there, alive and safe... the notion had been so strange...

... but somehow he felt it was the right thing to do at that moment.

His eyes closed and he could feel his heart quickening again as the feeling of her warm body pressed against his returned to haunt him.

ooo ooo

"Rosie!" Selphie called out when she picked her friend´s frame walking outside the Training Center. The raven-haired, however, seemed to not have heard her as she slowly continued her way towards Garden´s main hall.

Frowning a little, the brunette quickly approached her target through the mass of students and SeeDs hanging out in the huge chamber. "Hey, Rosie!" repeated Selphie when she finally reached the raven-haired and placed a hand on her shoulder. The other girl jumped visibly at the light touch and the brunette couldn´t help but smile as her friend had clearly been too deep in thought to even notice her presence.

"S-Selphie! Hi!" greeted nervously the raven-haired.

"You ok?" asked the tiny SeeD raising an eyebrow in suspicion "You seemed to be far away from here just now."

Rosie´s eyes widened slightly while her cheeks tinted a pale shade of pink "Y-yeah... I´m fine." _More than fine, actually_... she thought smugly and couldn´t help the smile that crept to her lips as the previous incident played for her mind´s eye for the millionth time that morning.

Confused by her friend´s behaviour, Selphie ventured "So? It went that good, uh?"

"What?!" Rosie´s face burned at the brunette´s statement. She couldn´t know about the kiss, could she? Squall certainly wasn´t the kind of guy who´d go around making public his private life... or anything else for that matter. And she hadn´t told a soul... which the raven-haired actually thought would remain that way.

Then how did...?

_Damn!_

The Training Center was a _public_ area, meaning someone could have seen them and of course, having surprised the stoic Commander engaged in a not very common – at least for him – activity was just a too juicy gossip to keep.

The raven-haired felt her gut clench in panic as her gaze quickly wandered through the hall. A little relief washed over her as she noticed not a single soul was even glancing her way, all the other teenagers seemed to be engrosed in their own bussiness. For a second there, she thought...

"Your chat with Rinoa. You wanted to talk to her, remember?" Selphie´s emerald eyes narrowed in suspicion at her friend´s odd behaviour "You sure you´re ok? You look kinda nervous."

Rosie nodded, feeling stupid at her sudden panic. What the hell was she thinking, for Hyne´s sake?! "Yeah, Selph. Don´t worry... I just had an encounter in the Training Center... a T-Rexaur." She finished with a small smile.

"You ok?" asked Selphie concerned and looking over her friend for signs of injuries. When the raven-haired nodded, she smiled too and added "I hate those things."

"Yeah. They´re... troublesome." replied Rosie deviating her gaze to the floor. She hated lying to her friends now that they knew everything about her and she felt completely comfortable. But she knew if she told Selphie about it, the tiny girl wouldn´t be able to keep her reaction low and surely would attract the stares of the other hall´s occupants.

... and that wouldn´t be good.

"I-I think I´ll go have some rest." muttered the raven-haired, looking back at her friend. "You don´t mind?"

"Of course not." replied Selphie smiling. "Go ahead. I´ll catch ya later, kay?"

ooo ooo

Rinoa stopped in front of his door and glanced at the closed entrance. Ever since Rosie had left her standing in the back of the Library the raven-haired girl had been musing about the SeeD´s words.

Was this all real?

She was not a religious person and certainly a spiritual answer was not what she needed to soothe her troubled thoughts. Rinoa knew it´d been almost 11 years since the last time she´d ever believed that a superior being, intelligence or whatever it was looked over each and every one of this planet´s inhabitants. Not since her mother´s death.

The truth was Rinoa needed a deeper assurance, the type only science can give her. There was no faith in there, only facts... and facts were irrefutable. That was why she _needed_ so desperately to see Dr. Odine; she´d been reading his book when Rosie entered the Library and interrupted her lecture, though Rinoa would be the first to admit the technicisms and complicated physics laws and theories made her more confused than she already was.

Now, standing in front of the Commander´s door, the raven-haired girl debated on whether she should just knock and tell him the whole truth about Rosie, hoping he would take the right measures... or to wait in the other side of the hall to the owner of the dorm across Squall´s to appear and end their conversation.

ooo ooo

The Commander groaned in frustration as the raven-haired´s bewildered face flashed in his mind again.

_I make Laguna look like a genious._

Surely he´d never be able to look at Rosie again without feeling guilty and incredibly embarrased for his sudden behaviour. Not to mention he hadn´t been precisely kind when pulling the girl towards him and the kiss had been far from gentle or cautelous, it´s nature had more a demanding note to it.

The worst part was, it had happened in the Training Center, the only place aside from his room, where Squall actually spent his spare time at. The SeeD doubted he´d venture inside the place again... at least for a long while.

The Commander sighed and untangled himself from the door that had been supporting his frame since he entered the room. Unsheating Revolver, Squall placed it carefully inside the black case designed to contain it. Closing the lid, his stormy eyes landed on the silver symbol standing out magnificently from the rest of the item: a cat-like head frozen in a silent cry.

His right hand caressed the platinum surface as his mind called the familiar symbol´s name and all it represented for him. His eyes narrowed for a second and he couldn´t help but think how far he still was from achieving the symbol´s ideals...

Squall´s stomach complained loudly, interrupting his musing and reminding the SeeD he hadn´t eaten anything the whole morning due to his earlier appointments. The Commander´s frown deepened. As much as he was reluctant to leave his room after his stunt, he was truly starving. Debating with himself for a while, he finally decided to take a quick trip to the cafeteria.

Squall opened his door and was immediately greeted by Rinoa, who was sitting on the paved hallway, her back resting against the door of the dorm across his.

"Hey!" said the raven-haired smiling brightly.

Squall´s eyes were drawn to her ebony hair and he couldn´t help but feel slightly out of breath at the powerful memory attacking his brain again. He nodded at her after his brief reverie and turned to lock his door.

"You ok?" her voice mixed with the shuffling sounds she made as she got up. "You look grimmer than usual... and that´s saying a lot." She finished with a small giggle.

The Commander turned to face her again when his eyes detected a figure standing a couple of meters away from them. Azure orbs widened slightly and he seemed to freeze in place, his gaze locked with the person behind Rinoa.

The raven-haired girl noticed his odd behaviour and turned to look at the source of his apparent bewilderment, finding Rosie, whose dark eyes were trained on Squall´s face while a slight blush graced her cheeks.

Rinoa´s gaze darted from one SeeD to the other, her right eyebrow lifting in suspicion. She´d noticed something was going on between them for a while now, though she had always hoped it wasn´t what she suspected...

The truth was the raven-haired liked Squall, but everytime she tried to approach him, Rosie seemed to find a way to keep the Commander away from her. Rinoa had managed to be near Squall during the time the other raven-haired girl was away, but ever since the squad bound to the Missile Base returned, the chances to be next to the brunet had vanished like smoke.

And now she stood here, between both of them, watching as they shared a prolongued silence. Suddenly, the raven-haired SeeD´s stare drifted from Squall to Rinoa, her eyes narrowed slightly, sending her a chilly gaze. The Commander seized the chance to leave before his cheeks burned, giving away his embarrasment, and walked off as quickly as he could, all the while wondering why Hyne felt inclined to make his life a living-hell lately.

"You were going to tell him, didn´t you?" asked Rosie coldly once the brunet man was out of earshot.

"What?! Of course not!" replied the other raven-haired, her tone making it quite obvious she felt indignated by the female SeeD´s acusation. "I was waiting for you, actually."

Rosie snickered and folded her arms "Yeah, sure."

"I was!" Rinoa´s voice was firm. She shook her head slightly before saying "You know what, forget it! I don´t need to put up with your nonsense... I have more important things to worry about." her voice cracked a little at the end and just as she turned around to leave, a slender hand wrapped around her upper arm.

"Rinoa, wait..." Rosie´s voice was soft and more calm than it had been mere seconds before, making quite a contrast with her earlier tone. ".. look, I´m sorry..." she took a deep breath to settle herself. Her heart beat at double pace while a whole pack of conflicting emotions ran through her mind. First, glancing at Squall had just triggered the brief kiss´s memory and all the emotions attached to it. Then, looking at the man she loved and the other raven-haired girl standing together,_ alone_ in the hall made her incredibly jealous and scared, emotion that only got stronger when the idea of Rinoa telling him her secret flashed through her mind, which finally added anger to the mixture.

"So much has happened today... and I´m still scared... and very confused." offered Rosie apologetically "I know it´s not an excuse to take it on with you... I shouldn´t have acted like I did." Rinoa´s frown softened a bit and the female SeeD decided to continue "I´m really _really_ sorry for that." a very small smile crept to her face as she joined her palms in front of her face and glanced at the other girl "Can you forgive me?"

Rinoa kept her pout for a little while, more out of stubborness than anything else. She could understand Rosie quite well, but that didn´t mean she was giving in that easily. Finally, glancing at the raven-haired SeeD, she nodded and smiled slightly "Okay. But try to control your temper next time."

"Promise." replied Rosie smiling back and crossing her heart with her right hand before lifting it in the air. She turned to unlock her door and, looking at the other girl out the corner of her eyes, asked "So, you were waiting for me?"

"Yeah. I wanted to finish our earlier conversation." replied Rinoa shuffling her feet nervously.

The female SeeD nodded, motioning for her to get inside her dorm. The raven-haired girl walked to the bed and sat down, Rosie following her close. A thick silence enveloped both women as neither of them had the words to restart their earlier debate.

Rosie licked her lips slightly before finally saying "I´ve been wondering many things this last couple of hours, you know?" her dark gaze settled on the tiled floor, unable to look at the girl seated beside her "Whether this is real... whether _I_ am real..."

"You?" asked Rinoa surprised.

"Yeah, me." replied the other raven-haired girl lowly. "_I´m_ the one who´s not where she´s supposed to be..." Rosie bit her lower lip briefly before continuing "You know, when I fist "appeared" here, I thought I was dead... my body was just so numb... and before that I can only remember a sharp, deep pain coursing through my body followed by a bright light..." her voice faltered and she closed her eyes trying to supress the chill that had suddenly assaulted her body at the memory.

She refrained from telling Rinoa about the path her doubts had led her on, especially the outcome of her little "experiment". Even when the raven-haired girls shared the same deep conflict, Rosie chose to only share her conclusion with the other, the trip she´d done to get there will remain hers alone... it was just too intimate to voice.

"But you know what..." the SeeD´s words echoed through her dorm, her tone was soft but firm at the same time. Her dark eyes finally dared to settle on Rinoa´s expecting face and a very small smile crept to her lips as she said "... I finally understood." The raven-haired girl didn´t move or try to interrupt her, instead waited patiently for Rosie to continue. After what seemed an eternity, she smiled warmily at Rinoa and said "I know it´s real... I don´t know how I got here or if I could go back to my world someday..."

_Or if I ever want to go back..._

"All I know is I´m here **now**... alive and sane in a completey different world." The raven-haired SeeD smirked slightly at the look in the other girl´s face "I know it sounds weird... but the truth is, you don´t have to worry anymore..." she took a deep breath and continued "I had the answer inside my heart all the time... I was just too blind to see it... or too stubborn to accept, whatever fits best." muttered Rosie before shaking her head slightly and looking at Rinoa´s eyes intently "Don´t let it happen to you... don´t let your fears and doubts consume you."

_I almost paid the price... and it´s way too high_

Rinoa sighed and broke the eye contact. "I know what you´re saying... but it´s not that easy... at least to me it´s not."

"Yeah, it isn´t. You can´t stop thinking about it... the doubts just keep going around in circles like a neverending dejá-vu." Rosie smirked again when the other girl focused on her face once more with a surprised look, as though the SeeD had been reading her thoughts. She couldn´t believe what she was about to say! "We´re very alike, Rinoa."

The raven-haired girl frowned "Whether we like it or not."

"Or not." replied Rosie smiling widely as Rinoa took one of her pillows and threw it her way. "Hey!" she grabbed the fluffy weapon and returned the blow.

"You started!"

"Me? Of course not!"

The battle went on for a little while, both girls giggling madly as relief washed over their hearts. Although the pain and fear were still there, their sharp edges were blurred, making them more bearable to live with.

Rinoa plopped down on the bed, trying to catch her breath. She turned to look at the other raven-haired girl sitting on the floor and smiled "Thanks."

Rosie shook her head "Don´t mention it." remembering their earlier conversation, she continued "We´ll go see Odine, I promise... just, give me time...I-"

"You love him, don´t you?" the raven-haired´s sudden comment made her heart skip a beat. The female SeeD´s eyes widened and locked with Rinoa´s as a deep blush covered her cheeks again. "That´s why you haven´t told Squall yet."

Rosie´s gaze shifted downwards. Athough the other girl´s words were not accusatory, she felt the characteristic cold sensation in the pitch of her stomach only guilt is capable of producing. Yes, she _loved_ him... but to admit it to Rinoa? She was, after all, Squall´s mate during the game... however as many things since her arrival, that could have changed too.

She´d stood between them... and – although the raven-haired SeeD was ecstatic with the kiss the Commander had given her – she felt incredibly guilty with Rinoa too. The last Rosie wanted was to be happy at expense of other people´s happiness... that just didn´t feel right at all.

"I do." Her voice was barely over a whisper and the girl sitting over the matress had to lean forwards slightly in order to catch her words. Rosie´s eyes returned to Rinoa´s face challenging her to reply to her statement.

The raven-haired girl sighed inaudibly and got up slowly "I see..." she walked towards the door, not even sparing a glance at the SeeD as she passed her. Halting suddenly just in front of the threshold, Rinoa said "Just try to tell him soon, okay?" her face turned to regard Rosie, surprising her with the warm smile adorning her face "I´m not going to wait forever." Without another word, the girl opened the door and dissapeared into the hallway.

The female SeeD remained sitting on the floor, wondering whether Rinoa´s words meant for her to tell Squall about her secret...

... or her feelings towards him.

ooo ooo

"Phew! Finally!" exclaimed Selphie smiling as she pressed the study panel´s keyboard. She´d just finished updating her online diary on the Garden Festival´s page. Though it was a little pointless proyect, the brunette girl knew many students were actually reading it, so she didn´t neglect it... especially now that this year´s Festival was unfortunately cancelled thanks to all the external events and she needed something – aside from the Grat population inside the Training Center – to keep her mind off business.

Leaning back on the cozy seat, her emerald eyes kept focused on the screen, though she didn´t register the information displayed there. Her mind was already lost on the details of the latest events. Although the tiny, spirited girl always looked concern-free, the truth was Selphie worried as much (or even more) than the other SeeDs, she just tried not to show it. Through the years, the young woman had learned to face problems with a bright, smiling face, that makes the task easier to do and helps people around too.

"Hey, Selphie!" a deep baritone broke her sudden reverie.

Smiling, the brunette turned to look at Irvine, who took a seat next to her. "Hiya!"

"What are you doing, doll?" asked the cowboy grinning while sparing a glance at the screen. "Garden Festival issues?"

Selphie shook her head slightly "Not quite... I´m just updating my on-line diary, that´s all."

"Did you write something about me?" teased the sharpshooter smirking and gaining a slight blush from the girl sitting beside him.

"What makes you think I would write something about you?" asked the brunette frowning, all the while trying to conceal the pink hue coloring her cheeks. Her heart was beating at double pace and she could swear it was so loud the cowboy was able to hear it.

How she hated the way he made her feel!

Never in her life had she felt that insecure around a guy. Selphie had many, many friends, but Irvine just didn´t quite fell onto that category... everytime she saw him, her stomach would clench and a fluttering sensation would fill her gut. She felt depressed and angry whenever he was talking – more likely flirting – with other girls, a sensation so alien to her, it was intimidating.

Yet, there was this odd sensation... whenever he was close, staring at her intently with those blue eyes of his, without his 'macho' persona on... when they stood in silence just gazing at each other...

... it reminded her of something long lost. What it was, she couldn´t quite remember.

But it felt just right.

ooo ooo

Zell stepped out of the Training Center, his gloved hands running through his spiky-styled hair as he stretched his upper torso slightly. His back ached a little as his earlier encounter with a young T-Rexaur had been far from being as easy as he´d thought. The prehistoric beast wasn´t quite as large as most of his kind, since it was barely a couple of decades old. However, what it lacked in strenght and size, it made up in dexterity and perseverance, forcing the martial artist to use every trick he´d available in order to avoid ending as the T-Rexaur´s main course.

Looking at his watch, Zell noticed it was almost 4:00 p.m. No wonder his stomach was complaining! His short, bulky frame entered the cafeteria and quickly made his way to the counter.

"We don´t have any hot-dogs left today." said the grumpy cafeteria tender before the martial artist had a chance to open his mouth. She already knew what he was going to order... it was no surprise as the blond brawler _always_ asked for that.

"Aww!!" Zell folded his arms over his chest, cursing his lousy luck when suddenly a hand rested on his right shoulder. Turning around, the blond came face to face with a brunette, slender girl with glasses.

"Here." said Thelma shoving a plate with a couple of hot-dogs on it into his hands. "You can have mine."

"B-but..."

The girl shrugged slightly and smiled "I´ve already had my fill. Besides..." she added winking ".. I´m late for my date."

"Date?" Zell muttered, wincing inwardly at how idiotic he sounded just repeating what she said like a Hyne-damn parrot.

Thelma nodded and patted the huge heavy-looking weapon strapped to her back "Yeah. A couple of T-Rexaurs are waiting for me to burn them to a crisp." Flashing a smile to the martial artist, the brunette cadet turned around and raised a slender hand "See ya!"

For the first time in many years, Zell Dincht was completely stunned and a loss of words.

ooo ooo

Rosie got up as soon as the alarm went off. Truth was, the raven-haired had been awake 20 minutes before the clock reached 8:30 in the morning as she had barely managed to get any sleep at all.

She´d tried to find Squall after her little chat with Rinoa ended, but the Commander seemed to vanish from the face of Earth the rest of the day. And although, the raven-haired´s dorm was located just in front of his, she hadn´t heard him return, meaning either he´d spent the whole night in his hideout or had happened to arrive when sleep had finally claimed her at high nightly hours.

Rosie sighed and passed a hand through her ebony strands. Squall was most certainly avoiding her... and she knew it. Her heart ached and she bit her lower lip trying to conceal the tears stinging the corner of her dark eyes. She was so confused! For a marvelous moment, she´d thought things were going great between herself and the Commander, but the look on his face when she interrupted whatever conversation he and Rinoa were holding and his later absence told her a completely different story.

_What did I do wrong?_

_I want to talk to him, but... what am I supposed to say? He was the one who kissed me, I didn´t initiate that. _

_..._

_Is that it?_

_Is he mad at me for not stopping him?_

_No. That´s absurd!_

_... well, it´s Squall we´re talking about here... everything can be possible..._

Frowning slightly, the raven-haired got dressed quickly and placed Reaper´s holster around her hips. Checking the gun´s barrel and gathering her item pouch, Rosie stepped towards the door, deciding to face Squall and dispel her doubts once and for all.

Her frame came to a halt as she reached the cold surface, her eyes narrowing in concentration. Resting her forehead on the hard door, the raven-haired carefully considered her options again. Thinking over, she finally decided it was better not to push the issue; surely that would only achieve making Squall even more uncomfortable than she knew he already was, thus making the brunet distance himself further from her.

Maybe if she just allowed him time and space to sort out his thoughts everything would be alright...

... but how can she be sure?

_With Squall you can rarely be sure of anything._

Bitting her lower lip, Rosie turned around, resting her back on the door before sliding down and sitting on the tiled floor. Dragging her knees towards her chest, the raven-haired hugged her legs as she rested her head on her arms and sighed.

She really wanted to talk to him, but forcing the Commander to voice his thoughts was as effective as casting a Zombie spell on a Blood Soul... and just as frustrating.

Her stomach complained loudly, but she paid it no heed, mainly because she highly doubted her clenched gut would accept any food without making her nauseous. And certainly, the last thing she needed right now was tossing her cookies.

Closing her eyes, the raven-haired sighed tiredly. His azure gaze flashed in her mind again, the emotions she´d seen reflected on the normally icy orbs making her heart warm considerably. The moment had been brief, but so potent it was impossible for her to think about the kiss without _feeling_ the emotions it evoked once more.

_I´m doing it again..._

Groaning in frustration, Rosie shifted, raising her head to stare at the opened window. That was the reason the raven-haired hadn´t been able to have a decent sleep the night before... her mind just kept replaying the beautiful scene in an endless loop, making her heart ache with doubt mixed with the most powerful emotion she´d felt in her seemingly short life.

Love.

It was so intense, Rosie feared her entire being would be consumed by it. This feeling marveled and frightened her at the same time more than anything else she´d ever known before.

Taking a deep breath to steady her already racing heart, the raven-haired decided to focus her mind on other things quickly before she lost herself in a never-ending, gut-clenching, heart-aching musing once more. Her dark eyes travelled through her dorm, stopping on the small shelf located on the right side of the room, where only a couple of – still unopened – books rested.

Smiling softly, Rosie got up and stepped outside her chamber, using all her will to avoid stopping in front of the Commander´s door. Her legs carried her all the way to the Library and she couldn´t help but steal a brief glance at the nearest faccility´s entrance, her cheeks tinting pink as her mind recalled the tingling sensation Squall´s lips had left on hers mere hours ago. Shaking her head, the raven-haired forced herself to tear her eyes from the Training Center´s access and turned right, entering the almost deserted Library.

Tons of books were neatly distributed on several shelves and she smiled at the extent of choices available. Her right hand danced over the books´ sides as her eyes scanned the different titles.

Reading was something she had always enjoyed and proved to be a very effective way to make her forget her troubles for the blissful moment in which she lost trail of herself and the world around her, focusing only on the story at hand. That was how she´d managed to devour the entire Anne Rice, Rowling and Tolkien´s sagas among many other classic and modern titles, though these ones were among her favourite. A sad, nostalgic smile graced her lips as she thought how impossible it would be for her to find those books anywhere in this world...

Her eyes narrowed as she came across a familiar title:_ Goodbye Pupurun_. She remembered somewhere during the game, Zell asked the library girl if anyone had returned it yet ´cause he´d been waiting ages to read it. Grabbing the slender volume, Rosie´s smile widened as she glanced at the cover, wondering why the martial artist found such interest in that book. Though the issue was definitely Sci-fi, the illustration of a little boy hugging what appeared to be an alien, seemed a little too childish for her tastes. Cocking her head to the side slightly, Rosie frowned as she turned the book and quickly read the synopsis.

It was just like E.T.

Though the names were different as well as many other details, the core was basically the same. The raven-haired´s eyes narrowed at the oddity of the situation... how could that be possible? She didn´t like the movie at all – in fact, she´d only seen it once – but curiosity gained the best of her and the raven-haired walked to the administrative desk in order to check out the book.

ooo ooo

The lift doors opened and Squall stepped out. Glancing around at the busy hall, he frowned slightly. What was he supposed to do that morning? He´d usually go to the Training Center once he´d attended bussiness on the bridge, but due to yesterday´s events, the Commander simply wanted to avoid the place.

_Hell, I´m being too naïve._

_... but what am I supposed to do?_

_Well, apologizing to her would be a good start... supposing she wants to talk to me again._

_...Wait a minute..._

_Why does it even bother me?_

His right hand went through his soft, copper hair as his frown deepened further. That question was the center of all his dilemma. Why did the fact Rosie wouldn´t talk to him again was bothering him? Squall´s heart clenched and he could feel a cold sensation in his stomach.

It was fear.

He was starting to depend on the raven-haired´s presence. Before now, he´d not spared a second thought on the matter, but the truth was she´d always been there whether he liked it or not. Whenever he looked around, _she_ was there, standing beside him, always ready to offer advice, help and hope.

But what scared him the most was the sensation growing inside his heart whenever she was near, a dangerous and alien feeling that threatened to lower his defenses, leaving him wide open for a deathblow.

Comfort.

He felt comfortable around Rosie.

_How did that ever happen?_

He knew depending on others was a mistake... isolation to avoid pain, _that_ was his motto. Squall Leonhart was a one-man army, the lone wolf. He had no one and nothing to lose, only himself. He was free...

... or at least, he´d thought he was.

It used to be simple...

... it used to make sense.

Until... when?

Rosie´s words the night of the concert echoed inside his brain.

"_I´ll always be there... for you."_

"_You´re not alone, Squall." _

"_You have us."_

Words could be so deceiving and empty... but the raven-haired hadn´t only spoken to him with them, but also with actions. Maybe that was why he was starting to trust her...

Sighing inaudibly, the Commander walked towards one of the benches located around the elevator shaft. Settling down in his normal slumping position, Squall continued his silent musing not noticing the issue his troubled thoughts revolved around was slowly walking back to her dorm with her nose buried inside a book.

ooo ooo

Night fell again and the raven-haired SeeD leaned on the bed´s headboard, comfortably buried between her two pillows as she held her lecture between slightly shaking hands. Sighing inaudibly, she wished she had a cup of hot coffee with her right now as the temperature started dropping since that day´s afternoon, sign the Garden was approaching the icy northern continent.

Closing the book, Rosie spared a glance at her alarm clock noticing it was almost 9:00 pm already. Time had really flew pass her and even though it wasn´t late, she felt very tired thanks to the lack of sleep from the previous night. Placing the book next to the clock on the headboard, the raven-haired shuddered slightly as she untangled herself from the warm mattress and walked to a small device located just near her bathroom´s door.

"It doesn´t matter what Nida says... this thing is broken..." muttered Rosie checking the thermostat for the third time since that afternoon when – noticing the drastic drop in temperature – the raven-haired had tried to settle it so her dorm didn´t resemble a damn igloo, but to no avail.

Normally, she would have gone to Squall – he was the Commander after all – but giving the current situation between them, Rosie decided to ask Xu for help. It was then when Nida offered to check out the device once his shift piloting the Garden was over, much to the raven-haired´s relief. However, to her dismay, the male SeeD finished his inspection without finding any malfunction.

Still, she was freezing.

Walking to her dresser, she retrieved a warm over-sized sweater, adding it to the other 2 small ones she was already wearing along with her warmest pants and two pairs of socks. The raven-haired returned to bed quickly before whatever warmth her body had generated dissipated completely and curled into a little ball trying to stay as still as possible.

She wasn´t used to such low temperatures at all. Being from a warm part of the planet, the winters she was used to were far from extreme and once she arrived to this world, she´d only travelled along the tepid countries too. Trabia´s temperature was just way beyond her league and she just hoped the few winter clothes she´d purchased in Balamb would help fend off the chilly northern winds.

ooo ooo

His left arm reached over and grabbed the noisy device, turning it off and placing it back on its rightful place. Azure eyes opened to thin slits, scanning the room before he slowly untangled himself from the warm bed. Fighting the chill that normally assaulted him in the mornings, Squall made his way towards the bathroom, ready to start his daily routine.

Ten minutes later, the Commander stepped out of his dorm, dressed in his normal attire and carrying Revolver in its sheath. The clicking noise his boots made as he moved through the tiled hallway, filled the otherwise silent chamber as most of Garden´s population were still in deep slumber.

It was nearly 6:30 a.m., Squall´s earlier schedule having to be modified due to his new responsabilities and the latest events. The brunet had been musing over his reckless action for almost two days straight and still he was clueless as which action he should take.

Leave him to plan battle strategies or fight a damn horde of Ruby Dragons, just don´t give him some "normal" teenager issue to solve... that was just not his department.

His steps quickly led him to the Training Center, a brief hesitation making him halt for a second before he shook his head and forced himself to go inside. He needed to train, who knew what obstacles laid on their future? More over, Squall knew he needed to fight and feel the adrenaline pulsing through his veins, sharpening his senses and clearing his thoughts.

That was why he liked to come here whenever there was something troubling him. Fighting always helped him put things into perspective, everything seemed so clear when facing death...

Maybe that was why he hadn´t been able to find a solution for his actual problem as he had stayed away from the facility ever since it happened, lacking the diferent view battle granted to things.

The shriek of a dying Grat greeted him as he left the security area and walked deeper into the jungle. Unsheating Revolver, the brunet scanned the area around him, his trained senses focusing entirely on his surroundings. A bush to his left moved slightly before a low hissing sound reached his ears. Out the corner of his eyes, Squall detected the hidden monster a couple of feet from him.

With lightning-fast reflexes, the Commander brought his weapon to the right where the Grat was standing as still as possible, trying to blend itself with the surrounding flora and using its long tendrils to move the bush on Squall´s left to lure what it supposed was an unsuspecting victim to a trap.

Unfortunately for it, the young SeeD was everything but unsuspecting and the mutant plant found its end at the mercy of Revolver´s sharp edge. It´s dying noises faded away slowly and were replaced by the sound of light footsteps and the characteristic blast from a well-placed Fire spell, followed by the painful screetch of a Grat. Squall moved towards the sounds' source, curiosity gaining the best of him as normally he was the only one inside the facility that early in the morning.

His eyes widened slightly as a very familiar frame came into sight. Rosie raised her left hand, focusing her next spell on the only Grat left. With a flash, it's body was suddenly enveloped by fiery flames, the loud, unberably shrill cry it emitted as life abandoned its charred body echoed through the huge chamber.

The Commander stepped back ready to return to his earlier position but his movement caught the girl's attention and he found himself confronted by Reaper's black, glistening cannon.

ooo ooo

Rosie stood completely stunned, the grip on her weapon softening as her mind finally registered the figure in front of her was definitely not a Grat. She'd been so focused in her battle against half a dozen of those creatures, her first reaction had been drawing Reaper to defend herself against the probable menace.

And although he was not a menace (at least to his fellow SeeDs), at that moment she definitely prefered to face another Grat than the stoic Commander.

_What is he doing here? I thought he trained later in the morning..._

The raven-haired had been restless thanks to the cold temperature reigning inside her dorm, so when she finally couldn't stand more the chill assaulting her body, she grabbed a pair of boots, Reaper and her item pouch and made her way to the only facility opened at that time. Surely, killing some monsters would make her warm up.

And now, she surely was warming up... her cheeks felt like they were on fire and the raven-haired was certain Squall could see her embarrassment. Hell, even a blind Armadodo could see it!

"S-sorry..." muttered Rosie lowering Reaper to its sheath and offering the brunet a little, apologetic smile.

Squall nodded slightly and took a step backwards, the raven-haired noticing his intention was to leave the place as soon as possible. Against her better judgement, Rosie took a step towards him "Wait..." the brunet stood still and she seized the chance to move a little closer "Please, don't go because of me."

Shaking her head slightly, she continued, her voice lowering and forcing the Commander to lean a little forwards in order to hear her "I'm sorry about what happened the other day... I-I didn't know how to react... I was confused and-"

Squall froze. She was apologizing for his mistake?! How could she ever think it was her fault? Quickly bringing his left hand up to silence her, the brunet shook his head and replied "You don't have to say anything."

Her eyes suddenly found the jungle's floor very interesting to look at, the raven-haired fiddled nervously with her hands as she tried hard to keep the blush attacking her cheeks at bay. She'd done it... she'd just pushed the issue and made him retreat into his shell again. How could she be so weak? Just a glance at him and all her resolve packed its luggage and took a trip to the Island Closest to Hell... or Heaven, whichever was further.

"I'm the one who's sorry." his voice made her heart make a double flip and Rosie couldn't help but return her eyes to his face. Squall wasn't looking at her, instead kept his icy stare focused on a nearby Grat's corpse. The hammering in her chest increased as she detected a faint pink tint on the brunet's normally pale cheeks. His frown deepened and Rosie could see it was getting harder for him to continue with his apology "...I don't kno-"

"It's ok." she interrupted him with a smile, deciding to save him from his predicament. After all, she knew speeches were just not his forte. When his azure eyes focused on her, the raven-haired smiled wider and nodded, repeating in a reasurring way "It's ok, really."

Standing in silence, both teenagers were startled when a sudden loud chime echoed through the facility, followed by Dante's voice.

"Attention all personel, we have just arrived to Trabian territory. Commander Leonhart, you're needed on the bridge... and Nida, you better get your ass here! Your shift started 30 minutes ago!"

As the last chime faded, along with Rosie's giggle, the raven-haired turned her attention towards the brunet again, nodding and smiling warmly. Without another word, Squall nodded back and turned around, quickly exiting the Training Center. He pushed the lift's button and was surprised at the relief he felt as the raven-haired's smile flashed in his mind again.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s whinning:_

_I´m SO sorry about the late update!! Really!! I tried to do it sooner but with work, school and severous writer´s block I couldn´t do any better. I want to thank (and all of you should too) Revir for her help betaing my story. Without her advice, I would still be stuck in the middle of this chapter..._

_Really, girl, thanks a LOT again!_

_I´m sorry too (well, seems like this note is going to be only to apologize, uh?) for not replying to all your reviews. You know I always do... but again, I haven´t had the time. So I beg your forgiveness and I make a solemn promise it won´t happen again. cross my heart_

_Anyway, hope you like this chapter, even if it´s as long as Hell._

_See ya soon! (I hope... nah! I´ll do my best!)_

_Lots of hugs and kisses,_

_Celestial "Meanie" - Mini - Rage_


	52. Chapter 52 Tides of fate

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 52: Tides of fate**

By CelestialRage

The humming sound the cargo lift made as it ascended, earned the stares of Dante and Xu, both SeeDs turning around and standing at atention as the Commander reached their position.

Cid smiled and nodded his greetings to the brunette when he saluted him. Even though both shared a comparatively equal rank, Squall kept the protocolary formalities he was used to, confirming once more his habits died hard.

"We´ll be arriving at Trabia Garden within the hour." said the Headmaster glancing at the young Commander. "Still, we have some issues to discuss before landing..."

ooo ooo

Rosie sighed as she closed her dorm´s door, flinching slightly at the temperature´s change. While the Training Center´s atmosphere was warm and humid, her room resembled more a fridge.

Setting her item pouch, Reaper and its holster on the desk near the closed window, Rosie´s eyes were drawn to the fading stars. Their beautiful, silver glinting would soon be replaced by the sun´s golden brightness as the new day finally chased the night away. The intense cold, grey-blue of the northern sky reminded her of Squall´s eyes and she couldn´t help but smile at the memory of the past events. Squall apologizing was definitely a sight to see. He looked just so cute with his slightly flushed cheeks and hesitant demeanor...

... though the raven-haired hightly doubted the Commander would like to be referred as 'cute' anytime soon.

She´d never expected that turn on events and to tell the truth, she was a little sad when he said he was sorry for kissing her... well, not exactly his words, but still that was their meaning, right?

A bitter-sweet sensation invaded her heart, knowing that even if the stoic brunet had apologized for his earlier stunt, he still had done it: Squall Leonhart, the anti-social, cold-hearted, close-minded Commander of Balamb Garden had kissed her and _that_ was a fact no one would ever be able to deny.

He´d acted on impulse and she knew it was a very good sign. And now that things were back to normal between them, Rosie decided she´d do everything in her hands to take whatever their relationship was right now, to the next level. However, as much as she loved him, the raven-haired knew better than to start imposing herself on the Commander´s time. Instead, she planned on giving him space, keep things 'normal' between them, staying close but not to the point of making him feel uncomfortable.

Rosie couldn´t help but giggle as she wondered what would have been Squall´s reaction had she gathered her wits sooner and kissed him back...

_Surely he´d have snapped..._

Still laughing, the raven-haired walked inside the bathroom ready to face whatever was waiting for them in Trabia.

ooo ooo

The entire Garden shuddered as Nida landed the huge facility swiftly despite the rough snowy terrain.

Rosie snuggled her thick, hooded, white jacket closer as the first chilly breeze met her face and, despite her warm clothes (a pair of black, wool pants, white turtle-neck cashmere sweater, black middle-calf lenght eskimo-like boots and white woolly mittens), the raven-haired couldn´t help the shivers the cold Trabian atmosphere forced out of her body.

Sparing a glance at her comrades, Rosie saw she wasn´t the only one who seemed uncomfortable with the icy temperatures, as Rinoa and Irvine mimiqued her shudders whenever a chilly breeze graced their faces. The other raven-haired was dressed in a short, baby blue winter coat, black pants and water-proof, zip-up black boots. Her thick mittens and wool scarf were a beautiful combination of white and blue rhombs. The cowboy wore his usual attire, the only difference was he had added a very thick, hood-less, brown pullover, black mittens, equally black scarf.and his normally opened trenchcoat was now buttoned, helping him keep his body from the extreme cold.

Meanwhile, Zell (who had changed his short blue pants for a couple of dark blue cargo pants and added a thick, hoody red sweatshirt), Quistis (attired in a red, thigh-long cashmere coat with a thick black belt around her waist, black wool pants and her trademark black knee-high boots), Squall (in his normal leather attire plus a thick-looking grey turtle-neck pullover) and Selphie (who just added a lemon green and white striped sweater and white leggings to her normal attire) seemed to not notice the gelid northern climate.

Finding odd that the Balambese SeeDs were as comfortable as the native Trabian brunette, Rosie approached the martial artist and whispered her querry. Zell smiled widely and replied "That´s ´cause I´ve got Ifrit junctioned. Believe it or not, the GFs work like thermostats on us, that´s why I don´t feel as cold as you surely are." he finished with a grin.

The raven haired folded her arms and pouted "Now I wish I had chosed to keep Ifrit..." she muttered, remembering she´d the chance to do so back in the Fire Cavern. "Well... at least if I´m changing a lightbulb and get shocked, I won´t be fried." added Rosie sarcastically, gaining a chuckle from the blond brawler.

The SeeDs turned to look as a couple of footsteps joined them at Balamb Garden´s entrance. The Headmaster and Xu – both attired in heavy winter clothing – joined them finally after delivering the resident instructors strict orders to keep the students indoors for the time being.

"We´ll wait until a Trabian SeeD party comes to greet us." said Cid adjusting his glasses over his already reddened nose. Hardly had the Headmaster finished this words when the huge gate protecting the northern Garden from the external dangers, opened slightly and a small group made their way towards the expecting youths.

The new comers were dressing a white knee-length coat, sporting Garden´s emblem on the right sleeve´s side, grey pants (or skirts in womens´ case), white water-proof boots, fluffy hats and mittens. All except their leader: a beautiful woman in her mid-twenties. Her brunette hair flowed gently to her shoulers, forming shiny copper waves. She was attired in what seemed a long blue sleeve-less coat, buttoned just to her waist and leaving the lower part opened to reveal a pair of black pants and dark boots. Underneath her odd-looking coat, the long sleeves of a white woollen shirt could be clearly seen and the thick, diagonal black belt dancing around her slim waist was very similar to Squall´s red ones.

"Headmaster Cid." greeted the woman, smiling warmly "I haven´t had the pleasure to see you in such a long time."

"It´s _my _pleasure to see you, Ana." replied Cid bowing slightly at the young woman. "Or shall I say, Headmistress Ana?" He finished with a smile.

Rosie´s eyes widened.

_Headmistress? _

_Wow! She´s so young... I never knew Trabia Garden had a Headmistress..._

Frowning slightly, the raven-haired suddenly remembered the reason she didn´t know much of the northern facility... well, at least she´d managed to change that. Her attention returned to the exchange both SeeD leaders held as Ana´s soft voice reached her ears again.

"I couldn´t believe when Ryu told me a huge building was approaching our position." said the brunette Headmistress scanning the Balamb facility´s beautiful movile frame. "How did you manage to propel your Garden?"

"It´s a long story..." replied Cid shaking his head slightly.

"Then let´s go inside and make yourselves comfortable. I´m sure it´s not a topic to be discussed in the middle of the snowfield." said Ana smiling before motioning the SeeDs to go inside.

When Selphie reached the other brunette woman´s position and saluted her, the Headmistress´s smile widened and to Rosie´s surprise, the proper SeeD leader suddenly reached out, pulling the smaller girl into a tight hug.

The raven-haired smiled at the scene, silently thanking the chance she was given to change what otherwise would have been Trabia´s cruel destiny. Selphie´s voice caught her attention, ending her brief reverie. The tiny SeeD broke the embrace and, still smiling, turned to face her friends.

"Guys, I want you to meet my sister."

ooo ooo

From his vantage point in Balamb Garden´s third floor, Nida watched at the pristine building just behind the thick, high iron wall surrounding the perimeter. Being in a truly desolated part of the world, as the nearest village was several miles away, Trabia Garden´s powerful fence protected the facility´s inhabitants from the extremely cold breezes and the monsters lurking around the place.

His eyes feasted on the northern Garden´s beauty. Although it was smaller than Balamb or Galbadia, this was definitely the most beautiful of the three. Its walls resembled the purity of icebergs and blended beautifully with the snowy horizon surrounding it. And while the other facilities resembled the forms of a fish and snake respectively, Trabia´s animalistic resemblance was that of a swan, graceful and beautiful as the building itself.

How he wished Cid returned and allowed them to go explore the marvelous Garden!

ooo ooo

Holding a hot, steamy cocoa cup between her hands, Rosie´s eyes glanced between Selphie and Ana, who was now intently hearing to Cid´s recounting of the previous month´s events.

The tiny SeeD had told them she had been adopted by Ana´s family a few months after she arrived to Trabia Garden. Her mother was Selphie´s first instructor and grew really close to the hyperactive girl, thus she ended as part of the Tilmitt family. Their father had been the Headmaster since the facility was inaugurated until a couple of years ago when he passed away – along with his wife – during an avalanche. Trying to protect Garden students, both Tilmitt elders, along with other 4 instructors and a couple of SeeDs perished as they formed a canal with the aid of Fire spells in order to deviate the snow that menaced to destroy Trabia Garden.

Ever since then, Ana had taken over her father´s position and despite being so young, she had done a very good job.

"So the rumors we heard from the Shumi are true..." muttered the Headmistress once Cid had finished his narration. "Galbadia is on a world-conquer campaign."

"You could say so." replied Squall in his usual cold voice.

Ana stood from her chair and glanced around at the other SeeDs, now comfortably sitting on the white, fluffy cushions inside her office. "I guess we ought to thank you for stopping the missiles... Hyne only knows how extensive the damage would have been had they hit us."

Rosie couldn´t help the images flashing in her mind. The mere thought of the beautiful Garden reduced to the ruins she´d seen during the game made her heart clench in a tight fist... and the lives that would have been lost... surely the young Headmistress was among them...

"It would have been terrible, I´m sure." muttered the raven-haired focusing her gaze on the hot cup between her hands, thus avoiding the meaningful gazes on her friends´ eyes.

Sensing the saddened atmosphere in the chamber, Xu smiled and said "But it didn´t happen... and now we have the chance to work together and stop Galbadia´s mad assault once and for all."

At this, Ana´s demeanor changed. "I know what you mean, Xu... but it´s not an issue that can easily be resolved."

The dark haired SeeD´s eyes narrowed "What do you mean?"

The Headmistress shook her head slightly "I must analize carefully Trabia´s next step. I´m responsible for the life of every cadet and SeeD inside this facility... and I can´t afford to take reckless decisions."

"We understand your position, Ana." replied Cid softly "And we´ll respect your decision, whatever it might be."

The brunette woman nodded "Thank you. I´ll need time to go over this issue... so please, feel yourselves at home." Her gaze turned to her foster sister and a little smile grazed her features "I´m sure Selphie will be more than glad to show you our facilities."

"Sure." replied the tiny SeeD standing up without returning Ana´s gesture. "C´mon, guys." she muttered before disappearing behind the door, not even sparing a second glance at her sister.

ooo ooo

"Hey, doll!" Irvine´s voice grew louder as he approached her. The brunette had just stopped near the fountain just in the middle of the Garden´s main courtyard. The sound of the running water mixed with his footsteps as he made his way towards her. Selphie´s shoulders were suddenly surrounded by his thickly clothed arm as the cowboy turned her around to face him "You ok?"

Bitting her lower lip and fighting to supress the tears burning the corner of her emerald eyes, the brunette just managed to shake her head, knowing her voice would have failed her at that moment. She felt so betrayed! Her sister had always been a model to her... and now, she was completely dissapointed of her actions.

Where was the corageous and resolute Annie she´d grown up with?

The sound of several booted footsteps making their way towards the pair, made the tiny SeeD to try and hide her face on the cowboy´s chest, much to Irvine´s delight.

"Selphie... you ok?" asked Rosie softly, placing her right hand on the brunette´s upper back.

"Yeah, you kind of bolted outta the room." added Zell.

"It´s just... I´m sorry about my sister..." muttered Selphie, her voice a little muffled due to the sharpshooter´s leather coat.

"Why?" asked Rinoa, raising an elegant eyebrow in surprise.

"She should have supported us without hesitation, that´s why!" snapped the tiny SeeD suddenly, making the other teens´ eyes widen in surprise at her rage. None of them had seen Selphie angry before and her sudden change really had taken them aback.

"But Sephie.." Irvine´s calm voice made the brunette girl to face him. He smiled warmly, caressing the smooth, milky flesh of her cheek ".. she´s right. She´s responsible for the lives of many. I´m sure if it was only her life standing on the line, she´d act without a doubt."

"As a leader, there´s much you have to consider, right Squall?" said Rosie smiling and turning to look at the man standing at her left.

To everyone´s surprise, the Commander nodded "It´s not easy."

"See? Just give her time, Selph." added the raven-haired SeeD shrugging slightly "I´m sure everything will turn out well in the end."

_At least that´s how everything´s been happening up until now... there´s no reason for it to change._

The tiny SeeD smiled and glanced at the youthful faces in front of her. "Thanks, guys."

Irvine´s smile widened and taking her hand, he squeezed it slightly to catch her attention. When her emerald eyes return to his face, the cowboy said "Well, doll. I´m dying to see what this Garden has to offer... though, to tell the truth, I have the best just right beside me." he finished with a wink.

Selphie rolled her eyes, but nontheless, smiled at his antics.

Maybe he´ll never grow up...

... but then, maybe neither will she.

ooo ooo

As the tour continued, Rosie couldn´t help but admire each room. It was really a pitty to miss the sight of the beautiful Garden. As Balamb´s, Trabia´s facilities were richly decorated and the craftmanship of its walls were definitely gorgeous. Although the different areas of the northern Garden were similar to the ones the building "parked" outside its grounds presented, this were much more smaller.

The Training Center resembled the northern snowy fields and forests as much as Balamb´s portraited the warm tropical environment reigning in the island. The monsters, Selphie explained, went from Mesmerizes to Blue Dragons, though these ones were just released at night, given their extremely agressive behaviour, thus reducing the chances of younger cadets having a very dangerous – and certainly, not pleasant – encounter with these grouchy creatures.

The dormitories were small and, as in Balamb, only SeeDs had the priviledge of a single room. Selphie showed them what - ´till a month ago – had been her dorm and the SeeDs (well, except Squall) couldn´t help but smile at the obvious hand of the brunette in the decoration. The bedsheets and covers were all a bright shade of yellow, a drawing of a cute Cactuar adorning them. Several plushies sat on her bed and Rosie couldn´t help but take the small, cute-looking, chubby Moogle resting near her position.

The door suddenly opened and the SeeDs turned to look at a stunned redhead.

"Lilka!!" exclaimed Selphie bolting towards the girl and enveloping her in what could have been easily catalogued like a judo key.

"Ah... Selphie, I think the girl needs to breathe." said Quisits as the redhead´s face turned paler by the second.

"Oops! Sorry!" said the brunette girl untangling herself from her sofocated friend. "I´m just SO happy to see you!"

"Me too..." replied Lilka smiling slightly as she tried to recover her breath. "Though I´m still mad at you for not writing me back like ya were supposed to."

"I know, but it wasn´t my fault! Really! It´s been so crazy lately!" said Selphie before she engaged in a long and detailed explanation of their oddisey.

The other SeeDs (except for Irvine, who sat contently beside the brunette while his gaze wandered through the room) excused themselves, not really interested in hearing the recounting of their adventure for the second time that day.

ooo ooo

Ana´s olive-green eyes settled on the silver-framed picture resting on her desk. Her smiling parents and foster sister mirthfully returned her gaze and she couldn´t help the tight knot in her stomach.

How she wished things were different!

The truth was, the Headmistress had never wanted to be in charge. She hated the responsability that came with her new position and despite her negative, most of the Trabian students and SeeDs looked up to her, thus making her the most viable candidate for succeeding her late father.

She´d lost everything on that fateful day: her parents, her freedom, her tranquility and even her little sister.. Ana had been so preocupied with the safety of the other students, she barely had time for Selphie and even if the tiny brunette had never complained, the Headmistress felt terrible.

And now, she´d dissapointed her again... the look on her sister´s normally cheerful eyes shattered her heart. But what else could she do? She was in charge of this Garden and whether she liked it or not, the students´ lives depended on her decision.

She wanted to help them, but to risk other people´s lives... _that_ she couldn´t afford. Especially since her parents had died protecting those very lives.

Ana sighed and turned in her chair to gaze outside the huge window behind her desk. Her eyes settled on a lone figure standing in the middle of the courtyard, recognizing her as one of Selphie´s friends.

The Headmistress ran a slender hand through her copper strands and closed her eyes. If she helped her sister´s friends, she´ll betray their parents´ memory... and if she didn´t... there was no way Balamb could win alone the fight against Galbadia...

ooo ooo

Rosie´s eyes wandered through the courtyard, marveling at the thick, sweet smelling pines colouring the otherwise huge snowy space. Her fingers danced over one of the tree´s coarse leaves, inhaling their characteristic aroma. Her arm fell to her side as the image of the improvised cementery she´d seen in the game flashed in her mind.

_So many graves..._

How many had died? She remembered the yard was full of tombstones as far as the eye could see. Selphie´s sobbing frame appeared to her and the raven-haired couldn´t help her heart tightening.

At least, she had been able to prevent that outcome, but the battle against Galbadia Garden was nearer with every passing day... she didn´t know much details of what happened during the battle, but being so massive, the raven-haired supposed there had been calamities on SeeD´s side too.

In the game, Balamb had been surprised and Squall didn´t have much time to organize the troops in order to defend themselves. Nevertheless, SeeD had prevailed... and now she´d the chance to help the Commander and prevent whatever cassualities they could suffer...

... but she was scared ...

_How can I be so weak?_

_People can die and all I think of is him... his reaction._

_That´s so..._

"Beautiful, isn´t it?" a male voice made her jump. Turning around, she spotted a young cadet sitting underneath a nearby tall pine. "You seem to be quite amazed by the horizon, lady. You´re from Balamb, right?" he said as he got up and dusted the snow from his grey pants.

Rosie nodded, watching the boy as he approached her. He couldn´t be above 16 or so it seemed, as his constitution was very thin and his features still held that boyish look. His pale skin contrasted incredibly with his grey uniform, messy, shoulder-length dark-purple dyed hair and crimson eyes, which reminded her of Fujin´s.

"The name´s Ryu." said the boy holding out his hand for her to shake. The female SeeD hesitated briefly before taking it.

"Rosie."

"Nice to meet ya." He added smiling before turning his eyes to their surroundings "Say, would you like a tour?"

"I´ve already had one, but thanks anyway." replied the raven-haired shaking her head slightly.

"Rosie!" both teens turned and the raven-haired smiled as Zell made his way towards them "Cid wants us to return to Garden."

"Kay!" chirped the female SeeD before turning back to the cadet and saying "See ya later." With that, the raven-haired turned around and reached the blond brawler.

"What were ya doing there?" asked Zell as they slowly made their way towards the main gate.

Rosie shrugged "Just thinking, I guess..." when the martial artist raised an eyebrow in suspicion, she frowned "What?"

"Nothing, I´m just happy to have been the one to find you." said Zell smirking "If Squall had seen the look on that guy´s face.. let´s just say his gunblade would have found a very comfortable sheath."

The raven-haired rolled her eyes "Why all guys think that only because one of you talks to a girl he´s trying to hit on her?"

"Because most of the time, it´s the truth." replied the martial-artist matter-o-factly "Ask Irvine!"

"The cowboy doesn´t count." said Rosie folding her arms "He hits on anything that wears a skirt." Her remark gained a loud chuckle from Zell who was just able to nod back.

ooo ooo

Morning came again, the third day of their stay in the northern continent announced by the golden light bathing the pristine snowy fields with a soft hue. The normally calm atmosphere of the deserted plains had been replaced for a couple of days by the incesant flow of people, as students and SeeDs alike moved back and forth between both Gardens.

While Selphie, Zell, Rinoa, Irvine and Rosie hanged out in the Trabian facility (much to the tiny brunette´s delight as she had already make both groups of her friends – the ones in Balamb and the Trabian – to meet), Quistis and Xu, along with a small SeeD squad had established a camp in the southern continent´s shore. Cid had been allowed to use the Trabian Garden Network to send the codified message and now all they have to do was wait for the dispatched Balamb SeeDs to arrive.

They didn´t have to wait long.

Many of the SeeDs were refuging on either Dollet or Timber, which made their trip to the northern facility even shorter.

Meanwhile, the Headmaster and Squall spared most of the time planning their next move, considering that the Trabian Headmistress still hadn´t decided whether the northern SeeDs would be involved in the battles to come or not.

Selphie and Rosie had gone to Cid´s office earlier that morning to 'borrow' the Commander and after a long and tiring discussion on Squall´s workaholic attitude and how he should let the Headmaster have a rest too, the brunet man finally agreed to accompany them... just to stop their babbling.

"How can girls around here wear those little skirts without getting cold?" asked Rinoa in horror, hugging herself as a cold breeze made her shiver, while glancing at a group of Trabian female cadets attired only in their reglamentary uniform.

"I dunno... but I surely am glad they do." replied Zell grinning.

The raven-haired rolled her eyes "You´ve been way too many time around Irvine."

"Hey, a guy can appreciate female beauty, right pal?" said the martial artist glancing to his further right where the tall cowboy walked along Selphie. His globed hands held a bright orange ball and he seemed to be deep in thought, so much he only nodded a little in the blond brawler´s direction.

Rosie glanced in his direction curiously. Normally the Galbadian SeeD would give an entire speech on why he felt compelled to look at a beautiful girl, much to Selphie´s annoyance and Zell´s amusement. Though at first the two male SeeDs didn´t get along, time and the battles they had endured had made them bond, as much as the rest of the group... or "gang" as Selphie charmingly refer to them.

The raven-haired noticed where their footsteps were carrying them and her stomach tied in a tight knot.

The basketball court...

"So, wanna play 21?" asked Zell placing one hand on his hip.

Quistis – who had just arrived a couple of hours ago from her "special delivery" mission – shrugged and replied "I´m not really in the mood to play."

"Aww! C´mon, Quisty!" exclaimed Selphie nearing the blonde woman "You could use some distraction."

"All of us could, in fact." added Rinoa sighing and folding her arms. Looking around at the Trabian and Balamb students playing basketball in the other courts, the raven-haired couldn´t help but feel nostalgic at the life she´d led before being involved with the SeeDs. Sure, danger was always present as a member of a resistance faction, however, the people in Timber had always supported them, and whether she accepted it or not, the Forest Owls had always counted with the protection of the town´s citizens.

And now, she´d only the other 5 youngsters to rely on. They were probably going head-first into a seemingly hopeless battle but the SeeDs didn´t even seem to be bothered by the fact it could very probably be their last one...

"You know..." her words made the teenagers´ attention to focus entirely on her "... ever since I met all of you, I´ve been doing some thinking... "

_Well, here it comes..._ thought Rosie sighing inaudibly as the inevitable conversation finally started.

"Care to share, doll?" asked Irvine smiling slightly.

The raven-haired´s eyes were drawn to the floor "I just... well..." her voice quivered slightly as she turned to look at the SeeDs faces "... do we have to fight? Is it really _that_ necessary? Can´t we find another way?"

"Uh?" Zell exclaimed frowning "What´s with you all of the sudden?"

"Well, I want to avoid any bloodshed." replied Rinoa casting her eyes downwards again.

"You were part of a resistance faction." Squall´s deep voice caught the teenagers´ attention "Unlike others who were all talk, you took your weapons and fought... so, why are you saying this now?"

"I guess I´m getting scared." replied the raven-haired truthfully "I try to keep up with your pace whenever we´re in battle, but despite my efforts I´m always left behind... and I´m scared... that next time we´ll not be so lucky."

"I think..." the SeeDs turned to look at the other raven-haired girl "... we´re all scared to a certain degree." she shook her head slightly and continued "Not only 'cause the battle against the Sorceress is nearing, but also because of the bond we have developed." her dark eyes stole a quick glance at the Commander before Irvine nodded and his deep voice replaced hers.

"I know what both of you are saying. Someone you love can be lost in front of your very eyes." the cowboy sighed and threw the ball, flawlessly scoring a couple of points. Grabbing the bouncing object, he continued "But that's why I fight..." turning to face the other teenagers, his eyes stopped on Selphie "... to protect the ones I love."

Her emerald eyes brought a whirlpool of memories and feelings to the cowboy. She hadn´t changed a bit since the last time he saw her playing among the multicolored flowers on the shiny summer days. Her smile was as bright and beautiful as the one he treasured in his memories and was still able to make his entire being to melt within its warmth. Selphie remained faithful to his mind´s image, the only difference was they were no longer kids and now their most serious problems have nothing to do with finding their lost toys or getting back before a certain blonde gave them a well-earned lecture.

His eyes drifted to Quistis and he couldn´t help but think how much the blonde had changed, from the little skinny girl he´d known back then to the full-blossomed beautiful and intelligent woman she was today. Though her personality was still the same, always the mature the one, the wise, the confident... but also the loner.

She always lectured Squall on his cold behaviour when the ex-instructor was certainly not straw house herself. Even with tons of admirers inside Garden´s walls (and Irvine was more than sure that she´d even more outside the military institution), the blonde was alone most of the time... but then, it had always been her way. She used to be a little wormbook and oftenly chose to bury her nose in one of the gigantic volumes she so liked rather than enjoy a summer afternoon running around trying to catch butterflies...

... like Selphie and himself used to do.

How he wished she shared his memories!

Well, there was a way...

_Time to spill the beans._ Thought the cowboy smiling slightly as he turned his attention to the ball between his hands again "You know, when I was little I was in an orphanage." His arms shot upwards, perfectly aiming for the basket and sinking directly inside it again. "Plenty of kids, all with no parents... It was at the end of the Sorceress War and many people had been either killed or separated from their children, so I guess it couldn´t be helped."

ooo ooo

Selphie watched Irvine as he retrieved the ball again and turned to look at them "Anyway, there I was. And..." the long-haired man´s cheeks tinted a slight shade of pink as the next words left his lips "...there was a girl I really liked there. Of all the other children, she was the one who managed to always bright up my day... and I felt so happy just talking to her"

The brunette girl frowned suddenly as an image of a huge stone room flashed inside her mind. The memory was brief but so lively! She was stunned at the clarity of the image and the sensations it evoked... the cold but at the same time, cozy room, the salty breeze, the roaring of the ocean against the rocks and the voice of the small auburn-haired boy standing just a couple of feet from her.

_Sephie, what´cha playin´?_

Blinking, the image of the child was replaced by Irvine´s tall frame and the brunette girl couldn´t help but notice the look in his eyes... it was exactly the same as the boy of her memory...

They were one and the same.

But how could it be?

"Was that orphanage a... stone house?" asked Selphie nervously, her stomach clenching slightly as the sharpshooter´s smile widened.

"You guessed it..."

"An old house made of stone... near a lighthouse" muttered Quistis frowning, her gaze seemed lost within her own thoughts and the blonde only got out of her reverie when Irvine´s deep voice replaced hers.

"That´s right. I knew right away when we first met!" said the cowboy mirthfully "Spunky little Sephie and Bossy little Quisty!"

"Why didn´t you tell us?" asked the blonde SeeD

"Because you seemed to have forgotten... I thought you guys recognized me when we met at Galbadia Garden, but you didn´t."

"It´s so weird!" replied Selphie frowning a little.

Zell´s voice was heard, catching the other teenagers´ attention. "Do you guys remember setting off fireworks?"

"Yep. But if I remember correctly, all you did was cry and threaten to tell on us." Replied Irvine smirking at the frown he gained from the martial artist.

"We got in BIG trouble for that." added Quistis giggling slightly at the memory.

"Hey! But if I remember this... then what about my parents in Balamb?" asked Zell frowning.

"The Dinchts must have adopted you." replied Rosie smiling at the familiar scene, though she had to admit her friends´ reactions were far more amusing live than through the screen.

"Yep, that´s probably it." added Irvine. "Though I don´t remember exactly when that was, I do recall you were always being picked on by a little mean brat..."

Zell´s eyes widened as the image of a tall blond kid flashed through his mind. There was no doubt in his mind: the golden hair, jade eyes and that cocky smirk he´d grown to hate through the years... "Seifer."

"Seifer? Our Seifer?" asked Quistis incredulously.

"Yes." the deep voice that now replaced the blonde woman´s hadn´t been heard during the whole conversation. Squall untangled himself from the small fence he´d been leaning on and nodded "Seifer was there too. Except for Rosie and Rinoa, we were all there."

His comrades exchange had slowly started to open doors to a past he´d long since forgotten. Though to tell the truth, Squall couldn´t have cared less. Being an orphan, he didn´t have many happy memories of which to mourn the loss of... but as his friends recalled the once familiar environment, the Commander couldn´t stop the flow of images that slowly, but surely returned to his brain.

_Sis..._

_I´m all alone ..._

_... but I´m doing my best._

The memory of the dream he had a couple of days before arriving FH, returned to him in full force. It was the same day he´d met Ellone in the Library...

_Sis Elle..._

Squall´s frown depened slightly at his own words of years past. "Sis... I was always waiting for her to come back." His eyes closed for a moment before opening again when realization finally hit him like a two-ton Behemoth "Elle... Ellone. So Ellone is Sis... that´s why her face seemed so familiar." His voice faltered slightly as he remembered the torrent of feelings and brief childhood memories she´d evoked in him when he met her in the Library.

Now everything made sense.

Why he´d felt comfortable around Ellone that day and his dream about the orphanage days afterwards... it was their long lost bond that still lingered deep within him.

"She was older than us, and we used to call her Sis." added Squall after a brief silence.

"Everyone was fond of her, but you, Squall kept hoggin´ her for yourself" said Irvine grining.

"Now I´m envious of her." whispered Rosie to Rinoa, who just casted her a glance and smiled widely.

"You sure have a good memory." conceided the Commander nodding slightly. "Though this is strange. I don´t think I was adopted... in fact my first memories – before this whole conversation started – were from my junior years at Garden."

"Probably the same with Seifer too. You both have been in Garden since you were 5 or so... I remember you left around that age." replied the cowboy frowning slightly.

"But he´s never mentioned anything about the orphanage either." replied Squall folding his arms over his chest and closing his eyes in concentration "Don´t you find that odd?"

"It IS odd." said Selphie "Though I have to admit when I arrived here at Trabia, I had lots of fun... so it´s not strange that I forgot about my childhood, right? But what about you guys, what made you forget?"

"The GFs." replied Rosie matter-o-factly.

"What?" asked Zell wide-eyed.

"Well, the Guardians are like parasites inside our bodies, right? They take their own space inside our brains to settle..." said the raven-haired shrugging.

"She´s right." added Irvine nodding "That´s why I was able to remember while you guys have forgotten... We don´t use GFs in Galbadia Garden, but you guys in Balamb junction them at an early age." The teenagers turned their attention towards the Trabian SeeD.

Selphie shrugged and smiling, said "Well, I junctioned a GF once when I was like 12 years old... does that count?"

"I´m afraid it does, dear." replied Rosie giggling slightly.

"So, what you´re saying is that if we keep using Guardians, we´ll lose our memories?" asked the martial artist frowning.

"No. I don´t think that´s the case." replied Squall "We´ve been using them for some years now and our childhood memories didn´t vanish... we were just unable to recall them on our own. But when Irvine prompted us to do it, they surfaced again."

Quistis shook her head slightly "Cid wouldn´t allow such a dangerous thing."

"No, but NORG would." added Squall, his eyes narrowing at the memory of the fat, greedy Garden Master. He was certain it had been the shumi´s idea to implement the GFs usage even knowing the risks it involved. All for the money, of course.

"So what should we do?" asked the ex-instuctor glancing at the Commander.

"Nothing." replied Squall coldly

"What do you mean nothing?" asked Zell

The brunet´s icy stare settled on the martial artist "What do you want to do? Stop using them? With the battles we´ve to fight, we need the GFs´ aid more than ever... If that´s the price to pay, then I´ll gladly do it."

The brawler took a moment to consider their leader´s words and sighed. "Guess you´re right. It´s the only chance we have to stand against the Sorceress, right?"

"Hey, I know!" Selphie chirped happily "Why don´t we keep a diary? That way we won´t forget!" Irvine nodded, smiling warmly at the girl who always managed to lift his spirit no matter how hard the situation was.

"Do you guys remember Matron?" asked suddenly Quistis, who seemed to be deep in thought.

Her seemingly out-of-the-blue question made the other teens attention drift towards the memory of the woman who´d taken care of them during their earlier years. Irvine closed his eyes, sighing slightly and then opened them to focus on his friends´ frowning faces as they tried to make up Matron´s once familiar features.

"She had long, black hair..." muttered Quistis "... and always dressed in black."

"She was really kind..." added Zell

"Wait, I just pictured her face and... she looks just like-" Selphie´s voice faded and her eyes widened when realization finally hit.

"Look like?" snorted Irvine in some kind of dry humor "No, darlin', they´re one and the same." When Squall, Quistis and Zell turned to look at them with an obviously confused note to their faces, the cowboy gulped slightly before finally saying "Matron´s name is Edea Kramer... she´s Sorceress Edea."

ooo ooo

Her amber eyes closed in concentration, her body trembling slightly as the battle inside her spirit continued. Her control was starting to fade and if she didn´t find Ellone soon, all their efforts would be for naught.

Seifer glanced at the regal-looking figure, knowing the inner struggle his Sorceress was facing. And even though he wanted nothing more than to reach out and help her, his own doubts, memories and fears as well as the knowledge he held about the woman´s condition, held him in place.

He knew it was a battle she´d to face alone.

ooo ooo

"But why is Matron...?" Quistis started before Irvine interrupted her.

"You mean why is she killing innocent people and launching missiles to the very facilities she and her husband built?" the cowboy shrugged and said "I dunno... and we´d probably wouldn´t understand at this point, but there´s something I do know..." Irvine remained silent for a moment "I´m not a SeeD as you, but I want to stay true to everything I´ve stood for. I´m here thanks to the decisions I´ve made through my life, sometimes they were limited while others I only had one available." His blue eyes shinned with determination as he continued "I value the path I´ve chosen... the path that _had_ to be chosen and even if our opponent is Matron... I won´t back down."

A silent minute passed, each SeeD lost within their thoughts.

"We can´t run away from her forever, right?" said Zell finally breaking the silence with a faint, sad smile on his lips.

"I really don´t want to fight her." added Selphie, deviating her gaze to the floor.

"But Zell´s right. We can´t run from her." replied Quistis "As SeeDs, it´s our duty... we can´t choose our enemies."

"Don´t think about it like that." said suddenly Rosie, catching the other teenagers´ attention "Edea is still the same kind woman you used to love while you were children..." her dark eyes turned to look at her friends "... she´s not your enemy."

Squall´s frown deepened "What are you saying?"

Rosie trembled slighty as the weight of her decision settled on her. She knew this time would come and with the battle against Edea coming closer and the planning her knowledge could aid the Commander to formulate, the raven-haired couldn´t help but finally give in...

... she´d to face it, right here and now.

For everyone´s sake, including her own. She can´t keep the secret any longer, not without blaming herself for every single death her knowledge would be able to prevent. And knowing the galbadians and Ultimecia´s blood thirst, there would be plenty of them.

_No turning back now... _

Sighing, the raven haired´s eyes locked with the Commander´s icy blue-grey ones as she bit her lower lip briefly before saying "Squall... there´s something I have to tell you."

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s whinning corner:_

_Another cliffy!! I just love this things... though I guess you have already noticed. :D_

_Anyway, I hope you liked this chappie. I tried to make the (to quote a very good friend of mine) "trip down memory lane" part very brief, so I skipped some details I´ll try to add in bits on later chapters. And, in case you´re wondering, Ryu is a character I included as a request from one of my readers. Hey! I attended to ADarkKnight´s requests once too._

_Well, I hope you review... because I´m actually 4 reviews shy from 300 and I´m going to offer a prize for the fortunate soul who submits the 300th comment. What it will be? I´m not telling :D_

_Lots of hugs and kisses,_

_Celestial Rage_


	53. Chapter 53 Revelations

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 53: Revelations**

By CelestialRage

"Squall... there´s something I have to tell you."

The nervous edge in her voice as well as the frightened look her dark eyes held, told the Commander that whatever information the raven-haired was about to reveal, was definitely not pleasant.

When the brunet remained quiet and unmoving, Rosie took a deep breath, steeling herself for the next minutes. The cold atmosphere around her had suddenly intensified, though the raven-haired knew it was just due to the shivers running down her spine. The entire world seemed to have grown quiet, the laughter and chatting of the nearby students were lost to her ears as she kept her entire focus on the stomy-eyed man in front of her. Rosie´s mind was a complete mixture of feelings, memories, questions and ideas...

How could she even start?

The raven-haired began to fiddle with her hands slightly, an involuntary nervous reaction she had whenever she was facing a very difficult situation. A sudden idea flashed in her brain, an expression she´d heard once.

_Truth will set you free..._

By experience, she knew it was true. When she´d revealed her secret to Irvine, the weight on her conscience had diminished some, the sensation increasing when Selphie and the rest of her friends had joined the "knowing ones". Though she´d to admit, her heart still felt heavy with guilt and doubt... and it was all because of Squall, because of his lack of knowledge about her origins, about her true self.

But not anymore... right here and now, Rossane Bennett was determined to tell him the whole truth and maybe, she´ll finally be free.

Rosie bit her lower lip again and drew a deep breath before elaborating "I... I´m not who you think I am."

Squall narrowed his eyes "What?"

"I-I am..."

Her voice faded and was replaced by another, more distant female voice "Commander Leonhart!"

The teenagers – except for Rosie and Squall, who kept staring at each other – turned to regard the approaching Thelma, who wore a very heavy long jacket over her otherwise thin clothes. The girl flashed a tiny smile to Zell and stopped in front of the SeeD leader, saluting him briefly before delivering the message she´d been confided with.

"Sir, the Headmaster and Headmistress are looking for ya. They need your presence as well as your squad´s at Ms. Tilmitt´s office right away."

Squall tore his eyes from the raven-haired and nodded, turning to his comrades "You guys go ahead..." returning his gaze to Rosie, he added "We´ll be there in a minute."

A sudden idea crossed the raven-haired SeeD´s mind and she shook her head "We should go with them. What I´m about to tell you concerns Cid as well."

The Commander´s eyes narrowed further, but he nodded "If you say so."

ooo ooo

Her heart beat at double pace as her booted feet entered the Trabian Headmistress´s carpeted office. To her surprise, not only Cid and Ana were waiting for them, but also Xu Dante and Nida.

Rosie´s heart fell. She was hoping her explanation would be reduced only to the Commander and both Headmasters.. but with Thelma taking a seat near the martial artist, the raven-haired just hoped the added 4 SeeDs would be able to keep her secret from Garden´s entire population.

Never had she been so nervous in her entire life! Her resolve started fading, but she forced her fear down. She was not running away, she was not turning back now! Though the consequences of her confession frightened her, Rosie knew she couldn´t keep posposing the moment any longer.

Shakily, the raven-haired took a seat near Selphie whose reasurring smile, incited a very little one of her own.

"I´m glad you finally are here." said the brunette Headmistress raising from her seat. "Cid and I have summoned you, to announce the aliance between Trabia and Balamb Gardens." at Selphie´s delightful squeal, Ana smiled and continued "Though I want to protect the lives of those under my command, I´ve understood that, as SeeDs, we´re involved in this conflict whether we want it or not."

"It is imperative to stop Galbadia´s onslaught and only standing together, would we be able to do it." the Headmistress nodded in Squall´s direction and said "Commander Leonhart, I place under your command whatever resources and SeeD personel this Garden has available." As her words faded, Ana saluted the brunette young man, who promptly stood up from his seat and returned the protocolary formalities.

"Thank you." replied Squall nodding slowly. "How many SeeDs do you have?"

"50. And if you add the senior cadets, Trabia´s combat-capable forces are around 120."

"The SeeDs I dispached before the whole faction incident at Garden have finally returned... 84 in total." added Xu folding her arms, "Which means in Balamb we´ve at least 114 SeeDs and 250 cadets... plus Trabia´s forces, it gives us – discarding junior classmen – around 400 capable units"

"We´re still low in numbers compared to the Galbadians." said Irvine frowning.

"But one SeeD counts for 20 of them, right guys?" replied Zell bolting to his feet with his trademark hyper atitude and gaining a wide smile from Thelma.

"Yeah! That´s what I´m talking about!" added the skinny, flamethrower-wielding girl "We´ve endured training beyond their imagination, we´ve got GFs, magic and our weapons" at this, Thelma grabbed her huge cannon-like gun and petting it, said "We´ll show them what it means to fight SeeD!"

The martial artist smiled at the girl´s antics and before anyone else could add something else, the hesitant voice of Rosie was heard.

"And we have something more..." when all the eyes in the room turned to look at her, the raven-haired stood up and nodding a little said "... my knowledge."

Cid frowned "What do you mean?"

Her eyes turned to Squall briefly before returning to the Headmaster "I-I know what I´m about to tell you might sound weird, but... I assure you, it´s nothing but the truth."

"Rosie, you´re scaring me." joked Nida, his smile vanishing as he noticed the serious demeanor in the other SeeDs´ faces... Selphie´s particulary caught his eye and made the dark haired SeeD sit down and silently wait for his former squad captain to continue.

Rosie bit her lip briefly before deciding it was best to start as she had done with Irvine "I´m not from Galbadia Garden... I´m sorry for lying to you, sir. But it was the only way I could possibly be accepted quickly inside Garden." The atmosphere was dead silent and the raven-haired could swear the tension was so thick and palpable, one could easily cut it with a knife. Her nervousness escalated as she spared a quick glance to the brunet man seated a couple of feet at her left. Taking a deep breath, she decided to finish with her story as quickly as possible.

"The truth is... I´m not from this world, dimension or whatever it is." Xu, Nida, Cid and Ana looked at her incredulously, while Thelma and Squall remained emotionless, the Commander´s eyes narrowing further as he kept his gaze on her.

"I don´t know how, but I "appeared" in the plains outside Balamb Garden almost a month ago, the same day of the Field Test..." her eyes settled on the floor as she couldn´t bear the glances the rest of the room´s occupants were sending her "I know almost everything about this world, that´s how I managed to pass the written test without effort..."

"Rosie..." Xu´s voice was cut off when the raven-haired vehemently shook her head and continued.

"You have to believe me, Xu! I´m not making this up nor I´m insane." She folded her arms and said "How else would I know you are the CC Group´s Queen while Quistis is the King? She beat Dr. Kadowaki for the title when she was younger... I´m not a CC Group member and only them know this facts, right? So, how can you explain that I know?"

The dark haired SeeD´s frightened gaze settled on Quistis´s for a moment. The blonde ex-instructor nodded and smiled in a reasurring way, but otherwise remained silent allowing Rosie to keep with her confession.

As Rosie´s explanation continued, Squall´s mind abandoned her words and rushed back to the day he met her, suddenly remembering she _knew_ about the Black Widow in Dollet´s com tower _before_ it attacked them. Though the Commander had registered that little detail, the following events had vanished it from his mind, until now...

What else did she know about?

Seifer´s betrayal?

The Sorceress´s rise and her struggle to destroy Garden?

Of course she knew about that... She was the one to try and enter the TV Station, she followed Seifer and fought Edea in that room. She knew about the Brothers, even when Irvine, being a native Galbadian, discarded them as only a legend. She was the one to guide us to where Rinoa was laying when those statues hurt her...

She knew how to get inside the Missile Base...

... She knew Edea was going to attack me in that platform.

Is that why she did it? Why she interposed herself between the Sorceress and myself? So that her conscience was clean?

And all she said at the concert...

... did she know what to say too?

Were her words prepared and empty?

His mind stopped his wandering as Irvine´s voice filled the room "That´s how we managed to get them out of the D-District Prision quickly enough to stop the missiles aimed for Trabia."

Selphie stood up beside the cowboy and added "And she was the one to guide us inside the Base to accomplish that mission... we had a little unseen complications later, but-"

"We were able to enter Balamb town with a little stunt she pulled." said Zell nodding

Squall´s frown deepened. All of them knew! Selphie, Irvine, Quistis, Zell... even Rinoa knew Rosie´s secret.

All except him.

How she must have laughed at his stupidity! The Commander shook his head angrily. How could he be so blind?! He was starting to trust her and now... this...

ooo ooo

"I´m sorry for not telling you before..." said the raven-haired nervously glancing at the Commander, who seemed not to be listening to a single word she was saying or had said in the last half an hour, his face was covered by his copper bangs and a black gloved hand kept his azure eyes from view. "... but I was afraid."

Bitting her lower lip, Rosie dared to close the distance between her and Squall´s seat. Her dark eyes focused entirely on the brunet as she fought to keep her racing heart from bursting "Squall... I-" her words were cut off when the Commander suddenly rose from his slumping position, almost knocking her over in the process and stood directly in front of her.

Although Squall´s frame was taller than hers by mere inches, the raven-haired couldn´t help but feel as though she was a lot smaller.

"So you knew about the Sorceress? About Seifer´s betrayal? The missiles? NORG? Garden´s navigation system? FH and Balamb´s ocupation? And you didn´t dignify to tell us?! Do you know how many lives could have been lost if something had gone wrong?!" The Commander´s voice had grown in intensity and volume, as well as in anger. His azure eyes pinned her in place with the terrifying rage they showed. Rosie had never seen Squall this pissed off... and it really frightened her...

... more than anything she´d ever experienced before.

"B-But nothing happened!" she said, her reply sounding weak even to herself.

"Just because you were lucky, it doesn´t mean what you did was right!"

"I told you, I was scared!"

"Of what?! For Hyne´s sake!!"

"Of this!" snapped the raven-haired angrily, her eyes shimmering with unfallen tears she fought to keep at bay. "Of your reaction!"

"How am I supposed to react, uh? How should I feel about it?" replied the brunet, his voice gaining volume again before he hissed maliciously "You know everything, right? So, why don´t you tell me?"

"Squall..." her voice quivered and a tear escaped her right eye. What was he implying? Did he not know her intentions and words towards him were true? Did he believe it was all a fake? That she didn´t care for him?

"Squall, man, chill out..." Zell´s hand landed heavily on his shoulder.

"Fuck off!" snapped the Commander angrily, shrugging the matial artist´s arm as his piercing gaze stopped the advance of the the cowboy who was already on his feet and ready to back Rosie up.

"Commander Leonhart!" Cid´s voice caught the brunet´s attention and he immediately bit his tongue. Turning his attention to the raven-haired again, his eyes narrowed dangerously and focused on her for an instant.

His icy stare was colder than usual and she swore her heart stopped for a brief moment as his deadly glare locked with hers. She´d never seen that look on the Commander´s face before... and it made her squirm inside and tears to further gather at the corner of her eyes, for she recognized the feeling behind his stare.

It was hatred...

... and dissapointment.

And it was solely directed to her.

"Squall..."

Her pleading voice was interrupted by his cold, stern tone. "Whatever." Without further words, the Commander turned around and stormed out of the room, not noticing the smaller hand still in the air, which had tried and failed in its attempt at catching the edge of the brunet´s black coat.

ooo ooo

"_The best we can do is abort the mission. I think we better return to Timber and wait."_

"_Wait? For what?"_

"_I don´t know... there must be something else behind all this."_

Like her knowing everything about the events in Timber, Dollet, Galbadia, FH, Balamb... Hell! He could go on forever!

Squall´s steps guided him to the wide courtyard in the eastern part of Trabia Garden, his mind playing for him all the times Rosie had given him excuses why to act one way or another. The pines´ trademark fresh fragance filled his nostrils but did little to make his brain forget her floral perfume. Her shimmering dark eyes flashed in his mind again and Squall could feel his gut tightening, though whether it was out of guilt for causing her tears or still in rage, he couldn´t tell.

His hands clenched into tight fists and the Commander slammed one powerful punch into a nearby tree´s trunk, his GF-enhaced strenght leaving a nice dent on the wooden surface. Resting his forehead on the offended pine´s bole, Squall closed his eyes, trying to calm his racing heart while at the same time keep his mind from wandering in unwanted directions.

But as he already knew, it was like asking Shiva to go take a sunny vacation on Balamb beach with Ifrit as her spring-break partner.

His brain seemed to have special delight in torturing him and the brunet clenched his teeth as Rosie´s words replayed for his mind´s eye like a never ending deja-vú.

"I know you, Squall. That´s just the way you are."

"_You don´t have to face this alone, Squall." _

"_I´ll always be there."_

"_You´re not alone, Squall."_

"_Squall... there´s something I have to tell you."_

"_I... I´m not who you think I am."_

No kidding...

"_Don´t push us away."_

"_The truth is... I´m not from this world, dimension or whatever it is."_

"... I´m not going to lie to you, because I know you wouldn´t like that."

But she still did...

ooo ooo

As his frame dissapeared through the door, slamming it shut in the process, Rosie´s control vanished like smoke and the raven-haired couldn´t help the river of tears running down her cheeks. Her heart felt just like back at the Inaguration Ball, only the feeling was ten times more potent. Back then, she´d felt heartbroken, yes... but she barely knew him and even though there had been love, it was nothing compared to what she´d grown to feel for him as time had passed and all the dangers they´d survived together, along with their fears and uncertainties had taught her just how precious he was.

And now, she´d lost him...

Squall hated her.

She´d seen into his eyes, witnessing the unforgiving coldness of his stare. Even if she´d never been able to read his expression, the brunet´s eyes were always an open book for her, his emotions concealed within their grey-blue depths, only available to those who know where to look.

And the emotions she´d seen reflected in them just a mere moment ago were devastating.

Rosie´s heart ached so much she could swear she´d felt just the moment when it had broken inside her chest. Her lithe frame quivered due to her forceful sobs as her entire breathing capacity seemed to have vanished along with her hopes and – had it not been for Selphie´s aid – the raven-haired would have fallen to her knees as her legs felt so weak it was no surprise they couldn´t support her weight. The brunette girl´s arms tightened around her friend as the distraught girl burrowed her face on her shoulder, holding onto the tiny SeeD as though she was her only link to sanity.

ooo ooo

Cid´s eyes turned from the girls´ barely standing frames to the door, the Commander´s enraged face flashing in his mind and making the Headmaster frown. He had never seen Squall make that kind of emotional display before... the teenager was cold and had mastered keeping his emotions at bay.

Why did Rosie´s confession make him so mad?

Unless...

The Headmaster shook his head and sighed slightly a very faint smile ghosted past his lips as he prayed to Hyne that Squall was able to get pass this, least he wanted to lose something that is very hard to find.

ooo ooo

"Rosie..." Selphie´s voice made the girl close her eyes and try to control her shivering frame, racing heart and quick, ragged breath in the process... only to fail misserably. The tiny brunette´s hand ran up and down her back in a soothing manner "Sh... everything´s going to be ok."

"I-I´m sorry..." whispered the raven-haired between sobs as she untangled herself from her friend, who just shook her head slightly to dismiss her apology and smiled warmly.

"I´m going to knock some sense into his thick skull!" said Irvine adjusting his hat and grabbing his beloved Valiant.

"I´m right behind you, pal." added Zell craking his knuckles.

"No." Rosie´s voice made both SeeDs stop and turn to regard the still sobbing girl. She shook her head and said "It´s my fault. I should have told him earlier... you all warned me, but I didn´t listen." Her eyes turned down to the carpeted floor as she let out a sharp breath "It´s all my fault..."

"It was very brave of you." all the presents shifted their attention to Cid, who now stood, smiling at the raven-haired in a very father-like way. "I know it must not have been easy to tell such a secret to us, and still you did." Adjusting his glasses on his nose, the elder man continued "Though I´m sure you know that your actions will have consequences, Ms. Bennett."

Rosie nodded slowly, trying to dry her drenched cheeks with the back of her palm "Yes, sir. I´m aware of that."

"What?" Zell exclaimed "But sir, she´s helped us a bunch!"

"And we´re in great debt with her, Mr. Dincht." replied the Headmaster placing his hands behind his back "However, she lied her way into Garden and that´s a very grave fault."

"Sir, I´m sure we could-" Quistis´s voice was interrupted by Rosie´s calmer tone.

"It´s okay, Quisty." When her friends turned to look at her, she smiled weakly, the action making the tears standing just at the corner of her eyes to fall down her cheeks "Thank you, guys... but I´m not backing down now. I´ll face whatever outcome this may bring... I´m tired of running away..."

I finally feel free...

_... heartbroken, but free __none__ the less._

_My freedom is all that´s left and I´m not going to lose that too._

_I had to pay a high price to obtain it._

"We better call it a day." said Cid sighing slightly and looking at the SeeDs. Turning to Ana, he said "I´m very sorry for this..."

The Headmistress smiled and dismissed his apology with a shake of her hand "It´s okay, sir. I understand there were certainly "unexpected" circumstances." Turning to the raven-haired girl, Ana said "And don´t worry, dear. As far as Trabia Garden is concerned, this issue won´t leave this office. It´s the least I can do for helping my sister through all the ordeals you´ve faced and for saving this facility."

Rosie nodded her thanks, smiling shyly as she did and amazing at how similar Selphie and Ana were, though they were not blood-related.

"This reunion will continue tomorrow at 1300 hours. And all of the Balamb SeeDs present must take a silence oath regarding this issue." said Cid, gaining emphatic nods from all those under his command. "I´ll talk to the Commander... we need his presence too." Added the Headmaster sparing a glance at the raven-haired SeeD, whose eyes closed tightly and remained completely silent.

"C´mon, darlin´." said Irvine grabbing Selphie´s hand with his right hand, while his left surrounded Rosie´s shoulders "Let´s go back to Garden."

ooo ooo

His booted footsteps were barely audible thanks to the thick layer of snow covering the metallic floor. Gunblade in hand, his stormy eyes scanned the place, looking for something to take his anger on. After almost punching the poor pine down, the Commander had unsheated Revolver and stormed towards Trabia Garden´s training center, wishing to rip open a few monsters to help settle himself.

His eyes detected a faint movement to his left, spotting a powerful-looking, blue, scaled tail. It´s sharp ending promised death to whoever dared to challenge its owner. A deep gutural growl made the SeeD´s hands tighten around the hilt of his gunblade as azure eyes locked with big, mean-looking yellow ones.

The Blue Dragon stood as straight as it could, a challenging roar leaving its throat before its agile and strong body lunged towards the human. Squall met the dragon´s lunge with one of his own, but before they made contact, the SeeD´s body rolled pass the monster before bringing his gunblade backwards, its sharp edge piercing the dragon´s back. Normally, Squall would have squeezed Revolver´s trigger to finish off his opponent, but in his irate state, he looked to do as much harm as possible before delivering the final blow.

The blade left the monster´s body in a downright angle, ripping open the resistant scales and soft meat underneath them. Black, thick blood tainted the purity of the snow covering the combat field as a painful growl echoed through the chamber.

Squall whirled around, meeting the enraged monster´s sharp tail with his gunblade. The anchor-like end met the silver blade twice before the SeeD rolled aside to avoid the dragon´s feral punch.

The Commander stood, holding Revolver ready as he charged.

ooo ooo

Rosie closed her dorm´s door and walked towards her bed. Despite her friends´ efforts to cheer her up, the raven-haired wanted nothing more than to be alone.

Collapsing onto the mattress, she couldn´t help the tears flowing again from her eyes as Squall´s eyes flashed in her mind again. The hatred she´d seen in them was overwhelming and her heart ached again at the memory.

The only thing that eased her pain a little was the fact that at least, she´d be able to help him to plan their strategy against Galbadia Garden... thing that she wouldn´t have been able to do without telling him the truth first. He´d have learned about her true self one way or another, so in the end, it was inevitable.

At least, her friends were there when it happened.

Drying her tears with the back of her palm, the raven-haired couldn´t help but wonder what would be her penalty for lying her way into Garden... maybe a time in the disciplinary rooms?

I don´t care...

The only thing she cared about right now was trying to explain herself to Squall... but... what if he refused to listen? What if he didn´t believe her anymore?

Well, she had it come.

ooo ooo

"Take a seat, Squall."

The Commander sighed inaudibly and walked into the Headmaster´s office. Xu had been the one to deliver him Cid´s message after looking all over both Gardens for him.

As Squall got nearer, the smell of powder, hot leather, blood and sweat indicated the Headmaster the young man´s whereabouts for the last three hours. Adjusting his glasses over his nose, Cid finally spoke.

"Today´s reunion was interrupted due to the circumstances." he didn´t have to be especific, Squall´s slightly clenched jaw told the older man that much. "Tomorrow we´ll resume it at 1300 hours. Same place." when the Headmaster said nothing more, the Commander nodded and was about to move to get up from his seat when Cid´s voice made him freeze in place "Ms. Bennett will be present too... we need to analyze how to adress that issue in a way that will benefit all parts involved."

Squall´s icy eyes settled on the older man "Are you sure that´s the best thing to do, sir?"

The Headmaster shrugged "What do you suggest?"

"I´d suggest we discharge her." The brunet´s tone was cold enough to drop the temperature in the room a couple of degrees. "She´s not reliable. She hid important information from us, endangering not only those around her, but also Garden itself."

Cid sighed "I agree with you, Squall... to a certain degree." The older man´s eyes closed "Though I do not conceide her behaviour, I have to take in consideration the benefits her knowledge has brought us."

"That was luck." muttered the Commander angrily.

"Maybe. But there was also a brave heart behind." when the SeeD didn´t reply, Cid sighed and said "I´ll take your advice into consideration, Commander."

Seeing it as a cue to finally leave, Squall nodded and got up, covering the distance between the Headmaster´s desk and the door in a few steps. His hand grabbed the knob and just as he was about to turn it, the older man called his name, making him turn his head enough to regard him.

"Don´t drop it away... you´ll regret later."

Without replying, the brunet dissapeared behind the door.

ooo ooo

Rosie´s head rose when the familiar heavy footsteps reached her ears. Her dark eyes focused on Squall´s approaching frame. She could see his eyes narrowing in return and felt her legs trembling slightly at his reaction.

The raven-haired had spent the last 60 minutes thinking of a good apology-explanation for the stoic young man and after going through the issue numerous times, she´d decided the best way to adress the matter was being completely honest with him.

Baring her heart to him was the best choice she had...

If she managed to make him understand how much he meant to her, then maybe the Commander would finally comprehend her actions and find forgiving her easier.

Or at least, that was what she was hoping for.

Bitting her lip, the raven-haired stood up from her sitting position in front of his door and nervously said "Squall... I want to-"

"It´s after curfew, Ms. Bennett." His tone was as cold as Shiva´s skin and the fact that he´d used her last name didn´t help matters any "You shouldn´t be outside your dorm."

"I need to talk to you."

"..."

"Look, I´m sorry... I wanted to tell you earlier but-"

"Whatever"

"No! Don´t "whatever" me about it! And for once in your life, listen!" snapped Rosie angrily, tears gathering again at the corner of her eyes though she refused to let them fall. No way she was going to seem weak right now. "I told Irvine first because he was the only one who could actually remember the orphanage... those facts were the ones that made him believe me. How was I going to tell you about your earlier years or your dear Sis if you didn´t even remember them a couple of days ago?" her voice had grown louder as she talked, echoing in the entire hall by the time she´d finished.

"I-I know I dissapointed you..." Rosie had noticed her altered state and tried to settle herself. "... and I´m really sorry..."

"If you continue with this Ms. Bennett, I´ll have to get you into the disciplinary area for breaking curfew."

"You would do _what_?" asked the raven-haired, half incredulous and half angry at his threat.

Squall didn´t reply, his icy stare holding that hateful look she´d seen earlier that day. Silence stretched for a couple of minutes, until Rosie let out a sharp breath and shook her head in disbelief "I can´t _believe_ you... Here I am trying to explain myself and you just..." despite her efforts, tears were already rolling down her cheeks.

"You know what..." said the raven-haired taking a step backwards "... fuck you, Squall!" with that, she turned around, quickly entering her dorm and slamming the door shut.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s whining:_

_OMG! She snapped!_

_Well, but can you blame her? What´s with the "curfew" and "Ms. Bennett" thing anyway?!_

_(sigh) Just hope they can work it out in the end... well, we´ll have to see what happens next ;D So stay tunned, please!_

_Thanks to all those who reviewed and also to all those who are following this story. Your patience and endless support are what keeps me going :D I´ll try to update more often, I promise... this chappie was actually ready this quick, ´cause honestly I couldn´t stop writing... the Muse of Inspiration has been quite benevolent with me lately :D So please pray she stays that way!_

_Anyway, gotta go!_

_Lots of hugs,_

_Celestial Rage_


	54. Chapter 54 Lonely games

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

Author´s Note: I´m writing this before the chapter for a very good reason... those who haven´t finished the game or never even got to the third disc, be warned. There are lots of spoilers in this chapter. Kay, once settling that, let´s continue...

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 54: Lonely games**

By CelestialRage

Rosie shifted uncomfortably in her sitting place beside Selphie. The reunion in Ana´s office had barely started, but the raven-haired wanted nothing more than it to end once and for all so she could get the hell out of there.

Just being in the same room as _him_ made her want to scream!

After her outburst in the hall, she´d undergone a 'cursing Squall' session, followed by rivers of frustrated tears that only stopped when exhaustion finally claimed her. Thankfully enough, her eyes weren´t as sore as last time... and though she exactly didn´t know why, she decided to just ascribe it to Trabia´s cold weather.

The raven-haired had skipped breakfast, not really in the mood to see anyone.. let alone having enough rotten luck to come across the Commander. And considering the last days´ events, she didn´t consider her luck being anywhere above lousy.

Thankfully for her, Squall seemed to be avoiding her as much as she did him.

When they had come face to face with each other in one of the Trabian halls leading to the assembly´s place, both SeeDs had deviated their gazes, the Commander´s steps growing quicker to outwalk her, much to the raven-haired´s relief... and dissapointment.

All in all, Rosie felt quite bad about the whole thing. Sure, she was the one to blame... but she´d hoped he would understand. Or at least would try to do it. After the kiss in the Training Center – Hyne it felt like eons ago! – the raven-haired thought he´d be more receptive towards her.

She´d tried to explain everything to him... she was ready to bare her heart and show him how much she cared about him and he had to come up with the most moronic statement EVER! That was when she snapped. The raven-haired couldn´t believe he´d said just that! Just thinking about it made her blood boil again... no wonder she´d just used the accursed "f" word.

... though now that the heat of the moment had vanished, Rosie felt like kicking herself for her slip.

_What a charming vocabulary, Rosie! _

_Really, you did it great last night!_

Her right hand ran through her ebony hair and she felt tempted to glance in his direction... but the words – the last – they had exchanged mere hours ago came back like a tsunami and she forced herself to keep her eyes focused on anything but him...

Hyne! It was so difficult not to give in and treat herself with his handsome face!

_No, Rosie. You have to be strong..._

"Ouch!"

A sudden, and somewhat painful, blow to her ribs made her attention shift to the girl sitting at her left. Selphie moved her head towards the other side of the room and Rosie realized she had been too deep in thought to even notice Cid calling her name numerous times before her brunette friend had been forced to wake her up from her silent reverie.

"Now that you´re back with us, Ms. Bennett we can proceed."

"I-I´m sorry, sir." replied the raven-haired blushing slightly, especially when even the normally proper Ana joined the other SeeDs´ laughter.

The Headmaster´s smile vanished a little as he called the teenagers to keep their composture. "Ejem... regarding yesterday´s issue..."

Rosie bit her lip. _Here it comes..._

"I´ve reached a decision on the disciplinary measures we´ll apply, given your fault... Though I must say your development as a SeeD has been exemplary, given the current circumstances, I´m sorry to announce you, Ms. Bennett that you will be no longer considered as one."

Her heart fell. And even when she couldn´t voice her dissapointment, her friends stood up and did it for her.

"Say what?!"

"But sir!"

"No way!"

Cid´s right hand came up and the SeeDs immediately stopped their protests. "Rosie has been a great aid for us and believe when I say this was not an easy decision." His eyes returned to the raven-haired´s paled face and said "I´m not without symphathy, my dear..."

"_Not without symphathy"... those were the words the Headmaster used on Seifer before he was locked up inside the disciplinary area... _

_Is that Cid´s next step?_

_Am I going to remain inside a cell until the conflict is over?_

_Isn´t there anything I can do?_

"... I believe you understand this... and will make your best effort to make it into SeeD again." The Headmaster´s words slowly registered in her brain and Rosie couldn´t help but utter a surprised "What?"

Cid chuckled. Apparently, she´d spaced out again...

"You´ve been demoted to cadet, Rosie." explained Selphie smiling.

"It´s not fair to know the SeeD Field Test´s outcome, don´t you think?" asked the Headmaster adjusting his glasses over his nose "You had a considerable advantage over your fellow students, that´s why I´m encouraging you to take the next Field Test and reclaim your title."

Rosie was still in shock by the news. "So, that means... I´m not going to be locked up in the disciplinary area?"

"Hyne, no!" Cid laughed heartly.

"A-and what about my dorm?"

The Headmaster shook his head slightly "Don´t worry, you can keep it, as well as all the other stuff you were given when passing the SeeD test." when the raven-haired frowned in utter confusion, the older man chuckled again "To tell you the truth, your demotion is just so I can say I did my administrative job... though you´re not _officially_ a SeeD anymore, you´ll keep the benefits of being one as a token of my gratitude for your help."

_Cid is such a nice man._

Rinoa´s words on the Headmaster flashed in her mind and the raven-haired couldn´t agree more. Rosie´s mouth curled slowly in a very small smile as she saluted the older man "I´ll abide by your decision, sir."

ooo ooo

The next day was a complete blur for her as she´d spent most of the time helping some of the Trabian students to move inside Balamb Garden. The SeeDs were taking their leave for Centra as soon as all the units were accomodated in their respective dorms. Squall had wanted to leave all non-combatant students inside Trabia Garden, but being a smaller faccility, the dorms were quickly occuped, not leaving enough space for all of them. Thus forcing the Commander to decide which group he´d take with them. Finally, he decided to keep the junior classmen inside Balamb as they were less in number and required equally less space than others.

The previous day´s assembly had finished at high nightly hours as Rosie had finally 'spilled the beans' about the truth behind Edea´s mad search for Ellone. The SeeDs had sat mesmerized by the raven-haired´s tale, too shocked to even utter a word until she finished. Ultimecia and her plan to achieve Time Compression just seemed too weird and unreal to be truth.

"So, you´re saying a future Sorceress is trying to kill every single person in the planet by doing some kind of time magic mumbo-jumbo?" asked Thelma frowning.

"Yes, that´s the general idea."

"The question here is _why_?" asked Quistis

Rosie shrugged "Nobody´s sure. There are some theories though... " the raven-haired decided to refrain from saying the whole Ultimecia-Rinoa hypothesis as first of all, she´d never been too fond of that explanation and second, if that were true, the least she wanted was to worry the other girl. "... the only thing we know as a fact is that in a Time-Compressed world she´d be the only one able to survive."

"But that´s ridiculous!" said Xu folding her arms.

_Yeah, that´s why most people say this game´s plot sucks..._

"I know, but that´s how things go." Rosie mimiqued the other SeeD´s movement and continued "In any case, that´s why she´s trying to get her hold on Ellone. She needs to go further into the past to achieve her time magic to work the way she wants it to."

"How are we going to stop her?" asked Selphie "You said she lives in a very distant future."

The raven-haired nodded "Yeah, but with Ellone´s help and Doc Odine we can travel through time once she achieves her goal."

"Let her achieve her Time-whatever?" asked Squall, narrowing his eyes at her. It was the first time the Commander had talked to her ever since their last "conversation" in the dorm´s hall.

Rosie nodded, but instead of looking at him like she´d done with the other SeeDs when she answered their queries, her eyes settled on the carpeted floor. "That´s what I said." The room´s atmosphere turned tense as the other occupants noticed the cold reply the raven-haired had given their leader. Rosie seemed to notice it too and sighed inaudibly before continuing "Anyway, the White SeeD ship is sailing towards the east and is going to be attacked by a galbadian float."

"You think that´s why Seifer retreated from Balamb all of a sudden?" asked Zell.

The raven haired frowned at the memory "I dunno... but they won´t get Ellone. An Esthar float will reach them in time to get her out of there safely."

"So, what should we do, fearless leader?" asked Irvine glancing at Squall.

The Commander seemed to be deep in thought and didn´t reply for almost a minute. He then shook his head slightly and muttered "I´ll have to look further into this... there still are many _ifs _and _buts_. In the meantime, we can move the students to and from Balamb." He turned to look at his comrades as he named them and their duties "Xu and Quistis will take care of provisions. Selphie, Nida and Dante will be in charge of integrating to our data base the transfered students records. And finally Zell, Thelma and Irvine will help the students to locate their new dorms and settle down." After a brief pause, he turned his attention to his client and said "Doctor Kadowaki might need some help too... would you mind aiding her, Rinoa?"

The raven-haired shook her head "Not at all."

"What about me?" asked Rosie as the Commander said nothing more, apparently forgeting about her.

"These assignments are SeeDs-only, Ms. Bennett" replied Squall coldly, his eyes settling on her pouting face.

Rosie swore at that moment she could feel the proverbial anime-like vein popping in the corner of her temple. She couldn´t believe this guy! Really, Squall Leonhart could be so damn childish sometimes!!

_Well, two can play this game._

"Then, **sir**... " Rosie smiled inwardly when the brunet´s jaw clenched. She knew how much he detested when people called him _sir_ "... I´d like to help my friends, so if you´re not going to assign me a task, I ask permission to incorporate to one of their groups."

The room had grown dead quiet, the other teenager´s gaze drifted from Rosie to Squall and back again as though they were watching Andre Agassi playing in the Wimbledon Cup. The Commander´s cold reply was cut off even before he could voice it, as the Headmaster intervened as soon as he saw the brunet open his mouth.

"I have an assigment for you, Rosie" he blurted out, gaining the attention of all the presents. After a brief pause, Cid smiled slightly and said "We´ll need your knowledge to plan our next step... That´s why I want you to help me and the Commander at the bridge."

"What?!" exclaimed the raven-haired, while Squall just narrowed his eyes further.

He _knew_ Cid would pull something like that as soon as he started with the "needing your knowledge" part. And though he had to admit he would need to consult her... the truth was Squall wasn´t exactly thrilled by the idea.

But neither was Rosie.

She couldn´t believe Cid was trying to pull that one out! It was obvious the Headmaster wanted them to stay near and work out their differences... but what he didn´t realize was the fact it was a fat chance! Sure, she loved the Commander, but there was NO WAY she was going to beg for forgiveness... and she knew it was exactly what was going to happen in the end if they stuck together more than necessary.

Alas, Rosie was a very gullible person... and adding the fact she was madly in love with him, it could only lead to the begging scenario.

And that was NOT going to happen.

Now more than ever, the raven-haired felt compelled to be stubborn. Hell, she had pride too! Sure, it was not nearly as big as Squall´s, but she wasn´t going to back down easily this time.

Damn! She had to find a way to untangle herself of the situation...

A very small smirk formed on her lips as she suddenly found the answer. "I´ll gladly accept to help the Commander out..." her eyes turned to look at him, her smirk widening as the next words left her lips "...whenever he asks me to." The raven-haired couldn´t help but congratulate herself: there was no way he´d ask her for help.

It was Squall Leonhart, after all...

The brunet´s reply was as cold as the Trabian winds "You may incorporate to whatever activity you want, Ms. Bennett. I don´t think I´ll need your help." he stood up and exited the room without another word.

Quistis turned to see Rosie with a slightly accusatory look, at which the raven-haired just shrugged and said "Hey, I offered my help... if he doesn´t want it, then there´s nothing I can do."

ooo ooo

Edea´s lithe frame convulsed slightly as her mind wandered through the dream forced upon her by the powerful Sorceress occuping her body. Darkness seemed to take on the chamber as the weakened woman´s low whimpers echoed through the room.

Jade eyes narrowed sliglty at the pityful sight, but the Knight stood still none the less. He knew the battle between both souls was getting to a critical point. Fortunatelly for them, their recognizance units had spotted the White SeeDs ship in the Centran continent and now the red Garden moved to aid them.

_Soon, my Sorceress... _

_... soon Ellone will be in our grasp and our dreams will come true._

ooo ooo

The sun was barely bathing the Trabian landscape with its golden light, when Rosie woke up from whatever sleep she´d managed for the last 2 hours. The raven-haired ran a hand through her slightly tangled bangs and got up from the mattress, her figure dissapearing behind the bathroom´s door.

_What can I do?_

Turning the faucet, she cringed slightly at the coldness of the pouring liquid. Splashing her face, Rosie tried desperately to forget the terrible nightmare she´d just had. Although the raven-haired didn´t remember much of it, the little pieces haunting her mind sent chills down her spine.

Balamb Garden was in ruins, her friends dead and Squall was the Knight to the Sorceress... Rinoa. But the worst part was when the innocent-looking girl suddenly morphed into a leering Ultimecia, whose unholy black wings seemed to envelope everything in eternal darkness.

Returning to bed after splashing her face again twice, Rosie sat on the mattress and hugged her knees.

_Even if Rinoa is not Ultimecia, her powers will reach the witch eventually... _

_How to prevent that from happening?_

Her normally relaxed face sported a frown that belonged more on Squall´s, as her mind raced with hundreds of thoughts. She remembered Ultimecia had passed her powers to Edea back when her friends were just kids... so, there was nothing she could do about that right now. Then, Edea had passed hers onto Rinoa during the battle against Galbadia Garden, making her a Sorceress... leaving only the raven-haired and Adel as possible puppets to Ultimecia´s plan...

Her eyes widened.

_Of course!_

_Why didn´t I think about that before?!_

Pulling out a pair of pants and boots, Rosie quickly got out of her room. Her hand stopped within milimeters of touching the Commander´s door as a new frown darkened her expression.

"_I don´t think I´ll need your help."_ Squall´s words echoed inside her mind again and again, like a broken record.

_Aww, c´mon, Rosie!_

_It´s not time to be stubborn! _

The raven-haired sighed slightly... the little voice inside her mind was right. What she´d just figured out could possibly change everything... maybe even the fact of Ultimecia being born!

Gathering her wits, the ex-SeeD finally knocked the door. Silence stretched for a couple of minutes and she shyly smiled the passing students as Garden´s population slowly came out to greet the new day. Knocking again and not receiving a response, Rosie sighed tiredly and decided to see if her lousy luck got a little better at the bridge.

ooo ooo

"Xu and I went to Shumi village." said Quistis handing Squall an activity report, along with another papers that seemed to be details on expenses. "The Elder was quite polite towards us and even extended an invitation to Balamb Garden´s students to visit the village whenever they want to."

"Seems not all shumi´s are bad, uh?" replied Irvine when the image of the infamous Garden Master flashed in his mind.

Xu shook her head slightly "NORG was what you could call "the black sheep". Although shumi´s are mostly dedicated to merchandising, most of them are honest." The dark haired SeeD shrugged "It´s just like with people: there are good and bad."

The door to Cid´s office opened and 3 figures entered. Hadn´t the SeeDs known better, they would surely had drawn their weapons, for the approaching teenagers looked like zombies. Selphie yawned soundly and after she and her other 2 companions, Dante and Nida, saluted the Commander and Headmaster, the tiny brunette plopped on the couch beside Irvine.

"Hey, sunshine!" greeted the cowboy smiling and placing an arm around the girl´s shoulders. Selphie just smiled back and settled beside him, resting her head on his chest.

"We´ve just finished incorporating the new student´s data on our system, sir." said Dante, stiffing a yawn of his own. Producing a CD, he handed it to the Commander "Here´s all the info."

Squall nodded his thanks and turned to look at Rinoa, who was standing near Quisits. "The work on the medical records is almost finished." said the raven-haired smiling "Doctor Kadowaki and the infirmary staff are really efficent."

"Then all that remains is that the students finish settling down." muttered Squall, his gaze shifting to Irvine.

The cowboy nodded "Yep, Zell and Thelma are taking care of the west wing students. Rosie and I finished with the left wing yesterday´s evening."

The Commander nodded. "We´ll wait until tonight to move the Garden. Everybody should rest until then..."

The door opened again and Rosie entered the room. Frowning slightly at the sight of the crowded chamber, the raven-haired couldn´t help but feel displaced as no one had dignified to tell her about the reunion.

"Hi. Sorry if I´m interrupting..." her eyes settled on Squall "... but I need to talk to you."

The Commander remained silent, nodding slightly after a minute as the raven-haired´s determination never faltered. He motioned for the SeeDs to leave them alone, only Cid remaining inside the office with the other 2 teenagers. Rosie smiled reassuredly at her friends as they walked pass her with curious glances. She´ll tell them later... but first she´d to consult with the Headmaster on how should she adress the situation with them.

"Take a seat, dear." said Cid motioning her to sit on the chair near the Commander. Rosie sighed and nodded, approaching slowly. "So, what is this urgent issue?"

"Sir, I-I think I´ve come with a way... to stop Ultimecia."

"I thought you said how we could defeat her yesterday." said Squall coldly.

The raven-haired nodded slightly "Yeah... but I think there´s another way."

The Commander´s frown deepened. "How?"

Rosie took a deep breath. "I didn´t entered in details in the assembly because I didn´t know how to address the situation..." her eyes returned to the brunet´s face "... I wanted to talk with you first, but since you´re behaving like a 5 year-old.."

"Ms. Bennett..." Cid´s voice cut off her words. "We´re not going to start that again. You and Commander Leonhart have to overcome whatever it is that is making you two act like an old married couple."

Both teenagers remained silent for a minute, until Rosie finally decided to give in a little. She´ll tell both men about her discovery and will make everything in her power to not lose her temper. The raven-haired nodded and turned to look at Squall "Look, I´m sorry... I´ve already told you, but if you need to hear it again, then I´ll say it as many times as it takes for you to finally understand."

Silence stretched for another minute and Rosie sighed, deciding it was a losing battle. She knew she couldn´t force her words inside Squall´s thick head... not unless he was willing to listen. Regardless of the situation – and even though she felt terrible because of this estrangement between the two – the raven-haired knew she´d to trust in him... even if the feeling wasn´t mutual.

Without wasting more time, Rosie sighed and said "As I told you before, Edea is being manipulated by Ultimecia... but she won´t be the only one." Bitting her lip briefly, she continued "During the battle against Galbadia Garden, Edea will pass her powers to one of the persons fighting her... she´ll turn Rinoa into a Sorceress."

"What?" exclaimed Cid.

"That´s why I didn´t say much... she was in the assembly." replied Rosie, setting her eyes on the mahogany desk. "She´ll be just a pawn, a puppet to Ultimecia just as Edea has been. But instead of just leaving her, the witch will try to kill her once her utility is gone. Ultimecia wants to manipulate Sorceress Adel... with her power and Adel´s cruelty, they´d be unstopable."

"Adel? The Sorceress who reigned Esthar 17 years ago?" asked Squall frowning.

"Yeah, the same... She´s not as dead as many think."

"Then where is she?"

"Esthar´s president has her sealed up in outter space." replied Rosie, a small smile lightening her features at the surprised faces of the other room´s occupants "She´s the cause of the world-wide radio interference. Esthar designed a prision that could keep her completely isolated from other forms of energy, being them radiowaves, junctions, magic... it´s all useless."

"And what´s Rinoa´s utility?" asked Squall, the question making Rosie´s heart ache at the Commander´s apparent concern of the other raven-haired´s person.

"She´ll unseal Adel... and then Ultimecia will leave her to die in outer space." Before either man could say anything, the ex-SeeD continued "However, I think I´ve found a way to prevent everything from happening. We can stop Ultimecia before she damages more people... the final battle can be inside Galbadia Garden."

"How?" asked the Commander.

Rosie sighed and turned her attention to Cid "Sir, I read that Sorceress´s power can only be inherited by a woman... is that right?"

The Headmaster nodded "Yes, it is. Though, why... I don´t really know. But there are no historical records of a man ever inheriting the powers of a Sorceress."

The raven-haired smiled. "Then it´s possible... we can stop her." ser eyes shifted to Squall, whose unreadable expression didn´t even twitch a little at the apparently good news "The only thing we have to do is to prevent any female from entering Galbadia Garden. Especially the chamber where Edea will be, that way, she won´t be able to pass her powers on anyone else and even if she doesn´t get rid of Ultimecia´s control at that moment, we can contain her and bring her to Esthar where doctor Odine can find a way to supress her powers."

"And they won´t reach Ultimecia..." muttered Squall "... she won´t be born."

"Maybe Ultimecia, the woman will be, but Ultimecia the Sorceress won´t." replied Rosie, her smiling widening at the approving look in the Commander´s eyes.

ooo ooo

Later that day, Balamb Garden finally abandoned Trabian territory. Selphie had spent most of the time in her former Garden with her sister and friends. Even though Ana had volunteered to be on the mission, Cid had refused her offering. Being the leader of the Trabian students, the young Headmistress had a larger responsability in the northern facility and even when the older man considered her as one of the best SeeDs he´d ever been able to see in combat, he knew her place was now beside her students.

Tough times were about to come and if they failed to defeat the Sorceress, Ana was the only defense the remaining students had against the Galbadian army.

After analizing Rosie´s plan, Cid had to admit the chances of stopping Ultimecia´s mad plot were extremely high... but the consequences of the act were still an enigma to him. How much would history change if the Sorceress powers his wife held were no longer to exist?

The Headmaster frowned.

SeeD´s purpose was to defeat the Sorceress. That was why it was created... how much would their fate be changed should they win?

And... would the outcome be worth the risk?

ooo ooo

Few things are as fleeting as a minute.. that is of course, if you´re enjoying the moment. Otherwise, a minute can stretch forever. And no one knew this fact better than Rossane Bennett.

Right now, her dark eyes shifted from the clock beside Cid´s desk to the blueprints extended on the mahogany surface. Squall was saying something about Galbadia Garden structure´s weaknesses, but she was only half listening.

It had been already 10 days since they left Trabia and the situation between her and Squall was as warm as a Snow Lion´s Ice Breath. Despite her many efforts, the raven-haired hadn´t been able to get a possitive reaction out of the Commander... not even in the many hours they´d spent planning the battle against the crimson SeeD facility.

Squall had been able to plan a strategy based on the facts Rosie knew and the forces he had available. Being in numeric disadvantage, the Commander decided to focus on defending the Garden´s vulnerable points, much as he´d done in the game. The raven-haired couldn´t help but be surprised at Squall´s capacity: in his polygonal version, the brunet had adopted the same plan (only with some weaknesses) in minutes. But now that he´d plenty of time and the advantage of Rosie´s knowledge, Irvine´s familiarity with their opponent´s base and several more resources than those he´d during the game, the Commander had devised a very simple but effective battle plan.

Squall had divided the cadets in 2 main groups: Sabers and MG, leaving a few to aid Dr. Kadowaki in the Infirmary and to deliver provisions through the facility. Sabers were mostly especialized in direct combat, thus most of them were SeeDs. MGs were better for defense, using magic, indirect weapons like rocket-lauchers or GFs. Though the Commander had been quite blunt with the ussage of Guardians, leaving them only to high ranking students and SeeDs and forbidding their summoning unless it was extrictly necesary. The least he needed was to have their base destroyed by the action of their own protectors.

Squall had also included combat drills between the students´ daily activities, which now were reduced to training either in groups or by themselves, eating, training again and sleeping. Everybody knew the battle they were about to face was far from being easy and its outcome depended solely on themselves.

Rosie sighed as the Commander finished that day´s strategy meeting. Stretching her back´s muscles, the raven-haired smiled in Selphie´s direction. The brunette was already waiting for her at the office´s door as both girls had their training session in about 10 minutes.

As much as the general population in Garden, Rosie and her friends had also changed their routines, focusing more in training themselves properly and helping each other out with their training. Zell had started giving not only his friends, but also some of the cadets, hand to hand combat lessons that could come very in handy for the upcoming battle. Not only had the raven-haired been in the martial artist´s informal classes, but also had been training with Selphie, who finally had taught her how to manipulate two spells and form another one. And although she didn´t quite get it at the beginning, time and effort proved to be the best ways to accomplish her goal.

"Ya ready?" asked Selphie smiling widely at her approaching friend.

"As ever." chirped the raven-haired

The tiny SeeD sighed "So, you´re still not ready."

"Hey!" protested Rosie indignately, eliciting a chuckle from her friend. She felt someone brushing past her and her heart ached as Squall´s frame exited the room, without sparing a glance at either girl before entering the lift.

"You two haven´t talked?"

Rosie shook her head. "Everytime I try to... he just turns around and leaves. I don´t know what to do, Selph." The raven-haired refrained from saying that Rinoa had been nearer to the Commander ever since the incidents in Trabia. Even though Squall didn´t pay much attention to anything besides his training and the battle strategy meetings, Rosie had noticed Rinoa tended to "coincide" (because she was possitive, the other raven-haired knew the Commander´s habits) with the brunet more often than before.

And it was eating her alive...

The tiny SeeD smiled sympathetically and placed a hand on her friend´s shoulder. What can she say? Just give him time and everything will be alright? That didn´t seem to be the case here... so she opted for offering silent support.

The raven-haired smiled back and suppressing the tears that wanted to form in the corner of her eyes, she said "Let´s go, Zell must be waiting for us."

ooo ooo

If they´d thought Squall Leonhart was workaholic before, after the events in Trabia Garden, the Commander had doubled his work load. Not only because of the innate responsibilities his charge carried, but also because the least he wanted was to have time to think in anything else but the approaching battle.

He knew exactly where his thoughts would go should he give them the chance.

Her face, her words, everything _she_ was came back to haunt him and he couldn´t give himself the luxury of weakness at this point. Everytime she approached in order to talk with him of anything else but the battle plan, Squall turned around and left... he knew he had to, or else he´d give in and damn his pride, that was not going to happen.

She had betrayed him...

... and that was something he won´t forgive easily.

Maybe never.

Revolver left his case and the Commander made a beeline for the Training Center.

ooo ooo

"And two!" Zell´s short and bulky frame passed through the lines of cadets and SeeDs taking his class in the Quad. He stopped briefly to aid Thelma in adjusting her position – which Rosie and Selphie found quite cute and amusing – before continuing with his walk, a slight pink hue coloring his cheeks.

Another hour passed and finally the martial artist dismissed his students, most of which went directly to the cafeteria to recharge as one of the Commander´s 'death drills' was about to start. Selphie and Rosie took a seat under one of the facility´s trees, both girls smiling at the exchange between Zell and the flame-thrower girl, who tried to show him how to handle her "pet".

"Where´s Irvine?" asked the raven-haired, suddenly realizing the cowboy hadn´t been nowhere to be seen for the past 2 days.

"Training Center." replied Selphie between giggles as Zell had accidentally burnt one of the further trees much to Thema´s amusement, which only increased as the blond brawler tried to magically extinguish the flames after his initial panic. "Why?"

Rosie shrugged "Well, he´s normally hanging around you."

The brunette girl smiled "Yeah, but just as with Zell, Squall asked him if he could give some of the cadets firearms lessons."

_Squall..._

The name elicited the thought nagging her since that morning´s meeting with more force than ever. The raven-haired took a deep breath and finally forced the words out of her.

"I´m leaving..."

"Uh?" Selphie´s emerald eyes shifted from what she´d called the 'explosive couple' to her friend´s face. "You´re... what?"

"Leaving." Rosie repeated, her voice slightly louder than last time "After the battle is over, I´m leaving Garden."

"Why?"

Despite the raven-haired, her voice cracked slightly "Because I can´t take it anymore." She sighed in frustration, trying to settle herself "Squall´s indiference is a lot more than I can bear, Selph." Rosie sniffed slightly "Besides, my role would be finished by then. If everything comes out as we´ve planned it, you won´t need of my knowledge anymore..."

_Which means Squall will definitely stop talking to me._

_And that is something I won´t be able to stand._

"So, I´m going to Esthar." Her dark eyes turned to look at her brunette friend "I want to see doctor Odine. If there´s someone that could possibly figure out a way for me to go home, that´s him."

The idea had been wandering inside Rosie´s mind for a while, making most of her nights restless and taking almost all her concentration. However, everytime the thought of leaving Garden grew stronger, she came face to face with Squall either in one of their strategy meetings or by sheer luck in the halls... just once glance at his stormy eyes and the thought vanished like smoke.

But lately, she´d just realized she wasn´t focused in the issue at hand. The battle against Edea was closer with every passing minute and the truth was, she gave a damn about it. Her whole mind, heart and soul were settled on the stoic and even colder Commander... in his closeness and complete estrangement towards her.

She knew she couldn´t fight properly until making up her mind and now that she´d forced herself to voice her intentions to Selphie, the raven-haired oddly found the notion more real than it had been a couple of hours ago in the meeting room. (aka Cid´s office)

"I´ve decided it... " Rosie´s voice was a little more firm "... once the battle is over, I´m leaving."

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s second note:_

_Well, hope you all liked the chapter._

_I want to thank Dagger for the wonderful review :D Since it was an anonimous one, I couldn´t PM you to thank you particulary, but well, here it is. And of course extended thanks to all those still reading and reviewing the story... and to my wonderful Beta (what would I do without you:D)_

_Anyway, see you on the next one! And remember that all comentaries are always welcomed :D_

_Lots of hugs,_

_Celestial Rage_


	55. Chapter 55 Battle in the sky

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 55: Battle in the sky**

By CelestialRage

"What are those?" asked Nida, his gaze settled in the barely floating and smoking object a few meters of their position.

Xu´s expression darkened "Seems a Galbadian vessel."

Squall´s frown deepened. It was the third boat they´d encountered with heavy damage. Apparently, the battle between the Galbadian and Estharian fleet had already taken place... which meant Ellone was probably already in Esthar´s territory.

The Garden had been carefully sailing through the Centran waters, thus reducing the risk of coliding against the sharp rocky cliffs surrounding the narrow passages they´d to sort to get to what had once been Edea´s orphanage. The journey had taken them almost 2 and a half weeks, since they departed Trabia and the Garden´s pilots were really glad the Commander knew exactly where the building was located, otherwise, they would have been forced to wander through the dangerous waters until spotting it.

Squall glanced at the navigation charts. According to Rosie, Edea´s orphanage and Galbadia Garden were both in the Cape of Good Hope, the westmost part of the Centran continent, and one of the most dangerous areas too. Surrounding the desertic valleys, several forests stood here and there, most of which were living and breeding grounds of Ruby Dragons, Blitz and other rare and deathly monster especies.

"Commander, six o´clock."

The brunet´s eyes left the charts and focused on Nida, who was handing him a pair of binoculars. Frowning, Squall glanced in the direction he´d been told to, finding what appeared to be white ruins and no further than 20 meters from them, stood the remains of a high, marble structure. The Commander´s mind flashed images of his childhood as his eyes wandered from the crumbled orphanage to the once beautiful lighthouse.

"We´re here." muttered Squall, changing his attention to the nearby forests. "Stop the engines, Nida."

Xu´s eyes widened slightly at a huge crimson shape floating slightly overhead of one of the surrounding forests. The uncertainty in her about Rosie´s knowledge finally vanishing at all. Her dark gaze turned to the Commander "This is it."

_They probably know we´re here... if not, we´ll make the first move._

"Intercom." growled Squall.

ooo ooo

"Now, the problem, doll is that you´re not opening both eyes like I told ya." said Irvine smiling as he positioned himself behind Selphie´s shorter frame. His beloved Valiant was in his even more beloved brunette´s hands as he´d spent the last half an hour trying to teach her how to fire a gun properly.

"Actually, I think the problem is her instructor is too much of her liking to have her concentrate properly." said Quistis in a serious tone that made the other teens laugh, especially when Selphie turned around and blushing, stick out her tongue at them.

Rosie smiled widely, it was good to see her friends happy. Especially Irvine and Selphie, both had grown quite close lately and she kind of envied them... but also was quite glad they were getting together. The same with Thelma and Zell... though their relationship was still very new and they were more in the 'just friends' ground. But the raven-haired had no doubt they´d get together someday... and when that happened...

... Hyne help Garden.

"Hey, Rosie wanna help me in here?"

Irvine´s voice made her attention return to their little target practice. Her friends had been extremely caring with her, not leaving her alone for a second after she´d told Selphie her plans for after the battle. They thought it was only a momentarily decision produced by her and Squall´s estrangement and decided to make their best effort to get their friend out of her depression.

She shrugged and unsheated Reaper "Sure."

However, before she could take a step towards the cowboy, three chimes echoed through the chamber, followed by the Commander´s voice.

"_Attention all personel, we´ve come into view with Galbadia Garden. Everybody get to your designated positions A.S.A.P. Your squad leaders will give further instructions. Selphie Tilmitt, Zell Dincht, Irvine Kinneas and Quistis Trepe report to the bridge right away."_

Rosie sighed. "Well, this is it." her heart fell as Squall hadn´t required her presence at the bridge.

The SeeDs nodded, sparing looks between them. They knew this day would come and though the situation had been calculated, the teenagers knew in the battleground nothing was written.

"Let´s go." said Irvine taking Valiant from Selphie´s hands before giving her a reasuring smile.

ooo ooo

"Sir, Almasy!" the door to the chamber opened and a soldier entered. Stopping a couple of feet from the blond man, the trooper saluted him briefly while he tried to recover the much needed breath. "S-Sir! Ga-Garden! Garden is coming!"

Seifer´s green eyes narrowed.

Turning to the paled figure sitting behind him, the young Knight exchanged silent words with his Sorceress before nodding and bowing. Unsheating Hyperion, the blond quickly left the room, ready to lead the Galbadian army in the epic battle he´d been waiting since his last encounter with Squall in Balamb town.

His handsome face was lightened by a wide smirk.

Finally, the final scene between the Sorceress´s Knight and the evil mercenary was going to unfold... he was just one step closer to fullfill his dream.

And no one would be able to stop him.

ooo ooo

The door to Cid´s office opened and the youngsters entered. Squall´s frown deepened when he noticed they were one short. "Where´s Zell?"

The others shrugged. The martial artist was nowhere to be found that morning... in fact, none of them had seen him since the previous day´s lesson.

The Commander shook his head slightly, deciding to start the last briefing without the blond bralwer. "Galbadia has spotted us. According to Nida, we´ll come in contact with them in 15 minutes. You all remember the plan?"

The SeeDs nodded.

Of course they remembered it, they´d been going through the damn thing for almost two weeks. Quistis and Xu ´s team would defend the front gate, while Zell and Selphie´s would contain the galbadian attack in the Quad. The second floor would be protected by Irvine and a especial MG unit - armed with rocket launchers and snipping rifles – which be mostly assembled in the different classrooms and numerous balconies inside the ballroom. Those were Balamb Garden´s most vulnerable points and it was necessary to focus most of SeeD´s forces in those areas. Squall knew he must not spread his forces through Garden´s less attack-prone zones like the dorms or Parking lot, as they were naturally protected by the base´s thick walls and by doing so, he was just risking to thin their defenses, thus giving the galbadian troops a perfect oportunity to divide them and beat their numerically weaker forces.

Instead, they´d stand like a rock and face the galbadian assault. The Commander was sure Seifer knew about their numerical disadvantage and would try to use it in his favour. The SeeDs´ aparent weakness was the bait the brunet laid on the battlefield, knowing his rival and the troops he commanded were arrogant enough to fall for it.

Squall nodded back. "Then let´s get going." Turning to face the pilot, the Commander said "Nida, as soon as they collide us activate the engine and increase our speed at 50... try to keep the Garden in balance with theirs."

"Aye, aye, sir!" replied the dark haired SeeD saluting the departing gunblader before turning his attention to the controls again. His face darkened with a deep frown as his almond eyes settled in the huge Garden before them. "Hyne, help us."

ooo ooo

"They´ve stopped, sir." said the Galbadian pilot turning to Seifer, who was watching the blue facility´s movements through a pair of binoculars. The red alert alarm had been echoing through the entire base for a minute now and most of the troops were already in their combat positions.

"Keep straight ahead." replied the Knight, a wide smirk crossing his features as he lowered the binoculars. "And increase our speed 50... let´s ram into them. " without a further word, the blond turned around and quickly left the bridge.

ooo ooo

"Listen up!"

Zell´s voice reached the SeeDs´ ears as the lift´s doors opened at the main hall. The martial artist was standing on top of the directory, all the eyes were on his short, bulky frame.

"This is the big one, guys!" said the blond brawler "Everything´s settling here. Galbadia has started a war and we´re going to _finish_ it. We´re going to show those bastards the fear that comes from fighting SeeD!" his fist raised in the air as his words finished and his voice was replaced by a thunderous roar that echoed through the main hall. Cadets and SeeDs alike from Balamb and Trabia – and even some survivors from Galbadia Garden that had been on missions by the time the facility was taken – joined their voices in a single cheer, knowing that even if they were to die this day, they´ll take as many Galbadians with them as possible.

The SeeD ranks opened as their Commander walked through. The cheers died down gradually as Squall approached the directory. His icy gaze wandered through the crowd, locating Rinoa, Joan, Rosie, Thelma and Dante between the students and noticing suddenly that all eyes were on him.

"You heard the man." His cold voice said before he nodded slightly. Hyne, he was not good at this... "Let´s show them what SeeD is capable of... Move out!"

"Yes, sir!" came the response as the gathered crowd saluted the Commander as one before finally spreading through the facility.

Zell jumped off the directory and grinned at their leader, who folded his arms and said "I thought you were sleeping."

The martial artist turned a slight shade of pink "Ah.. yeah... but your announcement woke me up." His baby blue eyes shifted briefly to glance at the skinny flamethrower-wielding girl, who shared the same blush as him. "Anyway, I´m going to my position at the Quad. C´mon, Rosie, let´s go."

The raven-haired nodded before wishing good luck to Rinoa and Joan, who were bound to the Infirmary (at Rosie´s suggestion so the other raven-haired girl was away from the Quad and the risk of her falling off the side of Garden). Turning around, she suddenly found herself face to face with the Commander. Their eyes locked for a second and Rosie felt her heart skip a beat. She tried to say something, but no words came... and before she could make her mind to function correctly, Squall walked pass her and the moment was lost.

Partially turning around, she finally found her shaky voice, though the sound was barely above a whisper and was lost to everyone´s ears but hers "Take care..." her eyes followed his frame until he got lost between the crowd before finally turning around and following Zell towards their position in the Quad.

ooo ooo

A sudden urge raised in the Commander´s gut, making him stop dead on his tracks. Turning on his heels, his eyes returned to the place where the raven-haired had been standing last time he saw her, only to find the spot was now empty. Scanning the nearby area, he detected her green and blue cladded form; his eyes lingered in her retreating frame for a couple of seconds before he finally turned around and resumed his way.

Squall reached the front line at the Main Gate´s position. Xu and Quistis were already in there, prepared for the battle. The dark haired SeeD had already drawn her silver sais, while the blonde ex-instructor´s whip was coiled between her hands. The glinting of weapons -either melee or firearms – filled the room as well as the clicking or snapping sounds they made as their owners readied them for the upcoming confrontation.

The gargantuan frame of Galbadia Garden grew nearer with each passing minute and the Commander could feel the tension rise within the chamber. The humming sound of the approaching base became louder, muffling almost every other noise around them.

"We hold them here!" Squall´s voice raised above the other sounds, his tone was hard and as cold as always, but had a solid rock determination that drew the others´ attention. His right hand moved to his side and unsheated Revolver with a quick, fluid motion. The gunblade´s sharp edge glistened in the hallway´s light as the Commander raised it in the air. "Get ready!"

The front of Galbadia Garden opened, revealing a sea of blue and red inside the base as hundreds of soldiers lined in order to invade the SeeD´s base. Among them, SAMs and GIMs could be seen, their mechanical roars reaching the teenagers´ ears.

Xu and Quistis stepped beside Squall, the three of them narrowing their eyes in concentration as the floor beneath their feet shuddered.

ooo ooo

Seifer Almasy stood on a pedestal built in what once had been Galbadia Garden´s open ballroom. The wide space had been modified to serve as a launching station and now the once beautiful chamber was filled with armored motorcycles, whose roaring engines echoed through the room.

A wide smirk adorned the Knight´s face as he watched the blue base getting closer. The troops Squall had disposed at the Quad and front Gate were visible even at his position high atop Galbadia Garden. He knew his rival was a good strategist, but how did he ever plan on winning when Seifer easily doubled - or even tripled - his forces? SeeD or not, there was no way they could possibly survive this battle.

The roars from the engines and cheers from the soldiers grew louder, merging in a deathly symphony as the red Garden finally collided with the blue one.

"Don´t die on me, Puberty boy." muttered Seifer smiling as he raised Hyperion high in the air "We still have a score to settle." His arm went down slowly, giving the signal to start the assault.

The floor shuddered, but neither Seifer, nor his troops paid it attention, the blue, red and silver tsunami started moving towards the defending SeeDs, their weapons raised and ready to spill their oponents´ blood as a tribute to their Sorceress.

The engines around the Knight transformed to deafening roars as the powerful motorcycles dashed forwards aided by the catapult-like devices they were in. The soldiers gritted their teeth as they were launched through the air, the dry Centran wind whistling in their ears as they traveled towards the other Garden.

Green jade eyes narrowed, focusing on the starting battle below as a smile highlighted his features. "C´mon, Squall. Show me what you´ve got."

ooo ooo

"Watch out!" Rosie yelled as she cast a protective spell over a cadet just before a motorcycle landed and knocked him down. Fortunatelly, the protective barrier had taken most of the blow and the boy was on his feet a second later, summoning an attack spell of his own and taking down the galbadian trooper.

Zell led the counterattack, the martial artist´s legs flailed as he kicked a soldier off his heavy ride. Quickly turning around, the blonde gestured and a couple of galbadians fell, their bodies burnt to a crisp as Zell´s flame spell had just blasted the gas tank of their vehicle.

Selphie´s nunchakus flew over her copper strands, hitting a soldier squarely on the jaw and sending him a few meters away, his motorcycle loosing balance and crashing on one of the Quad´s trees.

Rosie unsheated Reaper and aimed at the gas tanks while shielding the nearby cadets with Carbuncle´s magical protection. Reaper´s trigger was squeezed and a couple of galbadians flew over the SeeDs heads thanks to the blast´s power.

The roaring of engines suddenly grew louder.

Zell´s head turned up and his eyes widened at the view: dozens of heavy motorcycles flew their way, apparently the galbadians were coming in waves. Looking around quickly as he disposed of another trooper, the blonde SeeD noticed they were in heavy disadvantage. Frowning, the martial artist´s brain raced to find a way to incline the scale in their favour.

Suddenly, a wide smile appeared in the brawler´s face as his eyes closed in concentration.

ooo ooo

Squall´s body tightened at the first battle sounds. The Quad team was being attacked and he forced himself to remain focused on the enemy in front of him. He´d make sure the galbadians at the Front Gate go down before going to aid _her_ team.

Galbadia´s entrance collided with Balamb´s and more than a hundred soldiers rushed inside the building. The screams of "Galbadia" and "Edea", along with their hurried, heavy footsteps echoed through the otherwise silent chamber. The SeeDs didn´t move, all of them awaiting their leader´s signal.

The Commander´s icy stare pierced the incoming troopers like a lance, but what he did next left more than one frozen in place.

Literally.

Revolver went down and the chamber´s temperature dropped several degrees under zero, Shiva´s beautiful frame appearing in front of the astonished and frightened galbadians. Her hand moved to her face and the ravishing entity´s lips opened slightly as though she was blowing a deadly and equally frozen kiss to the troopers. Her icy breath traveled through the galbadian ranks, freezing solid many in the process and forcing others to take cover behind the cyborgs or their already frozen comrades to avoid the GF´s attack.

Shiva smiled at her handiwork and with a graceful movement, vanished in a rain of cold diamonds.

Some troopers started retreating when another roar was heard. This time though, the entity that appeared at their back was far from being beautiful. Its cat-like face turned even more malicious as a wide smile – that discovered its sharp, long fangs – spread through its face as much as the flames it had summoned did behind its tall, bulky frame. Ifrit´s fire wall prevented the remaining soldiers to retreat back into their base (while at the same time, kept the reinforcements from entering Balamb through the Front Gate), forcing them either to hold their ground or die burnt to the bones

While Ifrit´s frame dissapeared in a flame quickly turning ashes, a sceetch was heard and the final Guardian made its appereance. Quetzalcoatl´s non physical form coursed through the open space, quickly dispossing of the cyborgs and heavy machines still leading the Galbadian attack, reducing them to junk before they could reach the SeeD´s front line.

"CHARGE!" the Thunder God´s victory screetch as it vanished in a sudden lightining was replaced by Squall´s order, his voice raising like the storm that was his name. The SeeDs raised their weapons, a battle cry leaving their throats and echoing through the room as they rushed towards the remaining Galbadian troops.

Swords clashed and metal found flesh as both armies collided in a heated encounter.

ooo ooo

Zell´s new Guardian appeared between a strong gush. The purple and blue wind entity quickly followed her master´s desire. Looking up, she detected the raining galbadian troops, her winged feet planted firmly on the floor and her back arched.

Seconds later, the heavy incoming motorcycles were flying outside Garden´s grounds and the troopers screamed in fear as they plunged down to their deaths.

"Woo-hoo! Way to go, Zell!" cheered Selphie at the martial artist´s move. The blond gave her a thumbs up before returning his attention to the fight as Pandemona´s tall frame vanished as swiflty as she´d appeared.

"Seems the drills were quite useful, uh?" asked Rosie coming back to back with her brunette friend, both girls summoning equally powerful fire blasts and launching them towards the incoming galbadians. Sparing a quick glance around, the raven-haired noticed the SeeDs were holding their ground efficiently. Most of the faces were alien to her, but she detected the SeeD who had briefed her team during the SeeD test fighting side by side with Instructor Aki, as much as she was doing with her brunette friend right now.

"Yeah, it seems Squally actually knows what he´s doing." replied Selphie as they repeated the operation and turned to look at each other, the brunette smiling as she said "... well, at least in the battlefield." Her nunchakus barely avoided the side of her friend´s ebony head as its hard edge caught a soldier´s jaw, hurling him away. Her smile grew bigger "Because with you, he´s clueless."

Rosie smirked and shook her head before raising Reaper and aiming at the side of the other girl´s coppery head. The gun went off, the sound followed by a big blast and the screams of galbadian troopers. "Very funny, Selph."

ooo ooo

Nida´s arms ached as he kept Balamb Garden perfectly in balance with the other. If the red base turned right, he did the same. It was his only duty to keep the fighting ground as steady as possible, knowing his comrades depended on it to increase their surviving probabilities.

His almond eyes widened as he detected a huge hatch in the side of Galbadia´s base opening and revealing a whole batallion of green-cladded soldiers. Their backs were attached to what appeared flying devices and the dark haired SeeD soon confirmed that fact as they plunged down, the hoverfoils saving them from a certain death as the engines activated mere inches before they met the Garden´s propulsion system.

Nida´s hand went to the intercom.

ooo ooo

"_Attention, second floor team! The galbadians are coming from the sky."_

Irvine´s eyes narrowed before turning to his squad. "Kay, gentlemen..." he paused as Thelma and some other girls stared at him in a not very friendly way "... and ladies, of course." He added, tipping his hat in their direction "This is our call, so let´s boogie!"

The SeeDs and cadets saluted him and spread to their positions. Sniper rifles and rocket-lauchers gleamed in the corridor´s lights as the local team got ready to greet the unwelcomed visitors.

Dante kneeled on the balcony near Irvine´s position. His stance as firm and steathy as possible as he placed the rifle´s cannon on the railing, carefully avoiding it from shimmering in the sunlight and giving away his position.

Thelma wet her lips, her eyes narrowing in concentration as she focused in the heavy weapon´s sight. The humming of the nearing flying devices reached their ears, resembling the sound of a bee hive and merging with the explotions coming from the first floor.

A smirk graced her lips as the green-cladded soldiers entered her range of vision, her index finger steadied on the trigger as she followed her target, aching to hear their squad leader finally say...

"FIRE!" yelled Irvine.

The SeeDs complied, and the whole hall´s walls shuddered as the rocket-launchers went off, their hissing sound was the last the galbadians heard before being engulfed in the fiery blasts.

The cowboy´s finger pressed his rifle´s trigger repeatedly, taking down 8 galbadians in the span of 40 seconds. The other snipers covered their toll, efficently decimating their opponent´s air-bound forces.

ooo ooo

Golden eyebrows met halfway of Seifer´s forehead as he glanced at the battle. Despite the fact that his forces were larger in numbers, the SeeDs were – incredibly enough – holding their ground.

"Send the second wave." growled the blond Knight over the intercom before returning his eyes to the battlefield.

ooo ooo

Squall´s gunblade travelled through the body of a trooper, blood splashing everywhere as the SeeDs continued their assault. Fire and Thunder spells struck the galbadian forces, their characteristical sounds merging with the clashing of steel, gunshots and battle, victory and death cries emited by both armies.

The Commander raised his head from the slaughter, his eyes narrowing at the sight of Galbadia´s new incoming forces. Ifrit´s fire wall was dissipated by chill spells and the brunet suddenly realized the approaching units were para-troopers: SeeD trained soldiers, magic wielding and more powerful than the regular galbadian army.

"Shields!" ordered Squall, summoning a protective barrier of his own before Revolver met flesh again, cutting its way through the galbadian ranks. More than a dozen soldiers fell under the Commander´s blade in a manner of minutes as a tribute to the brunet´s deathly skills.

Quisits´s whip snaked around a soldier´s throat before the blonde pulled it back, snapping the man´s neck and forcing its head to leave the body it had been attached to in a bloody splash. She whirled around, her eyes burning red for a second before releasing the laser-like attack, melting away armor, flesh and bones in its path.

Xu´s lithe form danced around the galbadian lines, her twin silver sais glinted in the light as she moved gracefully between the soldiers. The thin weapons cut and pierced flesh, drawing rivers of blood as the dark haired SeeD moved through the room with the speed of a departing thunder.

Magical blasts collided as the second wave reached the chamber, the para-troopers deep green uniforms melting with the normal blue and red from the rest of the galbadian forces.

ooo ooo

"Incoming!" yelled Irvine, his grip shifting to reach Valiant at his side. The emptied sniper rifle clattered as it met the tiled floor, the sound muffled by the new weapon´s gunshots. The armor piercing rounds rained over the galbadian air forces, most of which were destroyed.

However, before the SeeDs had the chance to celebrate, the second wave arrived and started the attack, magical blasts blowing up some of the balconies and forcing the defending troops to change their positions or fall to the abyss below.

Dante cursed under his breath as his rifle slipped from his hand and lost itself in the depths below. The SeeD clinged for his life in the half-crumbled balcony for a moment before he swiflty pulled himself over the remains and quickly sought shelter behind a wall. A second later, the teenager emerged, twin flame blasts leaving his hands as he returned fire, taking down a couple of para-troopers.

"Shit!" cursed Thelma, taking cover behind a nearby wall as the floor where she´d been standing mere seconds before exploded. The seemingly weak girl, quickly brought her weapon up, taking aim at incredible speed and destroying an already approaching hoverfoil. "Woo! Take that!" squealed the girl delightfully watching the carnage before reloading her rocket-launcher.

A loud humming suddenly caught her attention, the brunette girl quickly whipped her head in the sound´s direction. Her eyes widened and she could only raise her arm to protect her face as the magical blast left the trooper´s hand.

ooo ooo

The soldier´s leg twisted in an angle it was not supposed to as Zell´s powerful kick made contact with his body. The martial artist whirled, sending a front kick to an approaching trooper before his arm extended, catching another galbadian squarely in the face.

"This is endless!" wheezed Selphie, parrying a magical blast with her equally supernatural barrier. Her nunchakus danced around, breaking jaws and necks as the deceitfully innocent-looking girl moved through the galbadian ranks.

Rosie was breathing heavily. Despite her training, the effort of the battle was more than she´d thought she could handle.

But she refused to give up.

Not when what had quickly become a second home to her was in danger.

The raven-haired´s hands glowed red as a couple of Fira spells left her palms, burning a pair of troopers to a crisp. Her non-lethal intents of before had vanished as she realized in order to protect herself and those around her, she had to kill her enemies, not only injure them... and so, she´d finally taken human lives.

"Watch out!" Zell´s voice made her head whip in the brawler´s direction. Her eyes widened as the hoverfoil met her straight ahead, hurling her backwards a couple of meters due to the sheer force of the attack. Rosie´s head spun, but she forced herself to sit up and focused her strenght in her next assault. A powerful electrical pulse left her hand and struck the incoming para-trooper, whose magical shield absorved the raven-haired´s spell. Rosie dodged to the side, avoiding the galbadian´s counterattack and casted another magical blast, this time aiming for the flying device.

Smoke left the damaged hoverfoil and the trooper cursed through clenched teeth as he summoned a powerful fire spell before plunging down to his death far below.

ooo ooo

Revolver´s sharp edge left the galbadian corpse, painting the once silver surface crimson again. The smell of blood, burnt flesh and steel, along with powder and death was heavy in the air. Hundreds of corpses laid scattered through the battlefield and though most were galbadians, SeeDs lives had also been lost in the process.

Squall´s jaw clenched as he, Xu and Quistis met the remaining troopers head-on. Their respective weapons and magic leaving death among their path.

The Commander´s frown deepened as he watched the battlefield in front of him. The galbadians seemed to be taking more time to board Balamb, meaning he could isolate the remaining troops inside their Garden and proceed to the second part of the plan.

Revolver parried a soldier´s blade and kept dancing around the troops as its master´s mind connected with one of the powerful entities junctioned to him.

ooo ooo

Thelma´s eyes opened and she detected the faint red glint of the protective spell that had been casted upon her before the gunshot that finished her attacker´s life reached her ears. Looking up, the girl came face to face with the smiling Irvine.

"You ok?" asked the cowboy reloading his weapon.

She nodded and reached for her rocket-launcher "Thanks."

The sharpshooter tipped his hat "No prob. Besides, Zell would kill me if he knew something happened to ya." He said before quickly aiming and firing, taking down another galbadian in the process. "He´s taking care of my lady down there, so it´s the least I could do for him."

Thelma´s cheeks burned slightly and she had to force herself to focus in the battle. Bringing her weapon up, the girl followed the cowboy´s lead, both SeeDs emerging from their hiding spots at once and firing their respective rounds towards the seemingly never-ending wave of para-troopers.

ooo ooo

"Sir Almasy!" saluted a soldier standing behind the Knight.

"Have we breached the weak points yet?" his jade eyes never left the battlefield, the green orbs narrowing further when the trooper remained silent.

".. no, sir." replied the galbadian nervously "The SeeDs are holding their ground fiercely... we´ve tried everything, but they seem to _know_ our movements!"

Seifer´s tall frame froze suddenly and the trooper gulped slightly at the mere thought of the blond being pissed off by the news. The Knight turned around slowly, his face a mix of anger and an odd sense of understanding.

"Know?" he muttered and the galbadian nodded his head slightly, confused at the blond´s sudden change of demeanor. Should he say something else? Thinking better, the soldier decided it would be lest harmful for him to remain silent and simply keep watching the Knight´s reaction, especially when his eyes detected the faint glow in Hyperion´s sharp, dark blade.

"Of course..." Seifer´s voice was barely above a whisper. Frowning slightly, the blond´s eyes focused on the galbadian in front of him His demeanor changed again, a wide smile lightening his features as a single word escaped his lips

"Kid."

ooo ooo

Rosie stood up.

Though her magical protection absorbed most of the trooper´s attack, the raven-haired cast a healing spell on her arm, as it was slightly sore from the fiery blast. The galbadian ranks had grown thin as most of the SeeDs in the Quad had doubled their efforts to take them down as quickly as possible.

"Seems we´re finally exhausting them!" exclaimed Selphie before another Fire spell left her hands, ending the life of another trooper.

"Protective barriers!" ordered Zell after snapping a galbadian´s spine as easily as though it was nothing more than a fragile branch.

Rosie complied, summoning Carbuncle´s power again and focusing all the Guardian´s strenght in a huge green dome that engulfed the whole Quad. "Area secured." yelled the raven-haired, making her way towards Zell "Though I don´t know how long it will last... Carbuncle is really tired."

"He can join the club." wheezed the martial artist smiling and quickly glancing around. Dozens of corpses littered the Quad´s floor, fortunatelly for them, SeeD´s cassualities were just around 10. "Let´s carry the seriously wounded to the infirmary and report to Squall. We gotta seize this chance."

ooo ooo

An unearthy shriek rocked the chamber´s walls, freezing many galbadians in place. Fear engulfed the combatant´s hearts as darkness surrounded the place. However, the Dark Lord was not summoned to kill this time, only to contain and prevent more troops from entering the Front Gate, giving the SeeDs inside the chance to defeat the remaining Galbadian forces and have a little respite.

"Xu, you´re in charge." said Squall after making sure their rivals´ numbers were no longer a concern. "Make sure the wounded are taken to the Infirmary and then assemble at the bridge." Turning around, his gunblade found its way through a couple of galbadians before he could reach the blonde woman battling a trooper that went down easily with an electric charge "Quistis, you´re with me."

The ex-instructor nodded and followed the Commander through the back of the hall, both SeeDs disposing of almost a dozen soldiers in their way towards the Quad.

ooo ooo

"Lieutenant." Seifer´s calm voice caught the galbadian offguard. He´d expected the Knight to be angered by the way the blue facility´s occupants had easily depleted their forces. Instead, the blond seemed almost... _amused_ by the fact. "Order the men to retreat."

"But sir!"

Hyperion´s sharp tip pointed in the SeeD´s base direction "See those shields?" asked the blond "They´re just catching their breath before they come for us. Assemble the men at the Front Gate and backyard and tell them to prepare for enemy counterattack."

The galbadian saluted him "Yes, sir!"

As his subbordinate´s footsteps grew distant, Seifer´s trademark smirk returned to his face. Seemed his rival had used Rosie´s hability to plan the battle out... no wonder the galbadians hadn´t been able to breach through their defenses.

The blond knew his troops were in disadvantage.

Highly trained SeeDs and cadets who had been prepared for this encounter and led by the only warrior the Knight considered a worthy oponent, was definitely not what he´d been expecting...

... but it certainly made things a lot more interesting.

Especially when their key to victory was just a stone thrown away, inside the other facility.

ooo ooo

Thelma frowned, lowering her weapon. "They´re retreating?"

"Seems so." Irvine´s expression resembling much her own, his blue eyes never leaving the withdrawing units. "I don´t like how that looks, though." The cowboy turned to his right "Dante, secure the area. I´m going to report this to Squall."

The platinum-haired SeeD nodded. "Don´t worry, I´ll take care of it."

ooo ooo

"Squall!" Zell´s voice was the first the Commander registered as he and Quisits entered the Quad. His icy blue eyes were drawn to the green semi-transparent shield protecting the area, before he scanned the place, taking in the damage done to both the facility and the SeeDs defending the zone.

The martial artist saluted his comrade and said "We´re just 10 SeeDs short... though it could have been a lot worse, that´s for sure." Squall nodded, his eyes quickly reassuring him the raven-haired wasn´one of the few cassualites they´d suffered. "I don´t know if we´ll be able to contain a third wave, though... those bastards outnumber us by far."

The brunet folded his arms "I know." Even with all the drills and training they´d endured, the galbadians were far superior to them in numbers and despite the fact SeeDs were extremely well trained, the Commander knew they were still vulnerable to the emotional factor.

Morale and determination at that time were crucial for them to win.

If the SeeDs kept fighting without results, they´d fall in despair and that would mean their doom. He had to act and do it as quick and efficently as possible. A large battle wouldn´t do his forces any good and the result would be just a tired SeeD army that wouldn´t stand a chance against Edea´s boundless magical power. Squall knew they must take this respite to assemble the SeeDs and proceed to the second part of the plan: invading Galbadia Garden.

"Squall!" Irvine´s voice made the brunet turn around to regard the approaching cowboy. The taller man saluted his friend and said "You´re not gonna believe this, they´re retreating."

Squall´s eyes narrowed and settled on the green-cladded soldiers still visible from his position. The cowboy was right... they were withdrawing. The Commander´s frown deepened when realization hit "Seifer knows we´re coming. He´s going to focus his forces in defending the Garden´s vulnerable points."

"Main gate and backyard." Said Irvine nodding.

Squall nodded back and remained silent for a minute, his arms folded over his chest while his eyes remained closed in concentration. Finally, the Commander´s icy glare emerged from beneath heavy eyelids "We´ll disperse them, that´s the only chance we have."

"How?" asked Rosie, who had joined the conversation alongside Selphie, both girls´ eyes settled on the brunet man.

"Let´s go to the bridge." replied Squall before quickly turning around and leaving the place, his comrades close on his heels.

ooo ooo

"Bring more supplies!" yelled Kadowaki to her assistants. The infirmary wasn´t very crowded as thanks to Squall´s drills, lots of lives were saved. There had been injured though, mostly low-rank cadets who had barely survived the battle thanks to the aid of their seniors.

Rinoa moved from one side of the facility to the other, her curative magic aiding the doctor´s efforts greatly. Joan and a group of low rank SeeDs did the same, acting as the defense party in that zone as well. Fortunatelly for them, the Commander´s action plan had gone smoothly and they weren´t pulled into the battle, focusing only in keeping the wounded students alive instead of killing their aggresors.

ooo ooo

Squall grabbed the blueprints he´d been studying for the last 3 days, displaying them on the Headmaster´s table before his eyes shifted to the assembled SeeDs. "Seifer will most likely focus his troops here and here." His index finger pointed at the front Gate and rear yard. "We know they still outnumber us at least 2 to 1, so we´ll use our Guardians to confuse the galbadians and spread them through the facility."

"Light and sound show?" asked Xu smiling at the Commander.

The brunet nodded "Most of it will be... but while our GFs distract them, we´ll breach Galbadia through here. The northern facility, where the ice-ring is... " his finger indicated one of the other base´s most secluded zones

"Yay! We´ll be inside their Garden in a second!" exclaimed Selphie bouncing in place.

Squall shook his head slightly "No. We won´t get inside the base through the ice-ring. The Galbadians will spread to defend it, meaning their forces at either or both the main gate and backyard will grown thinner." His frown deepened "That´s when we attack the soldiers guarding the front entrance. We won´t disperse, all SeeDs will focus in that facility... that´s the only chance we have."

"I see... attacking what seems untouchable would be the last thing they´d expect right now. Especially knowing they´re far numerous than us." said Quistis.

The Commander nodded. "Once we´ve disposed of the forces at the main entrance, we´ll continue our way through the facility. We´ll remain together, attacking as one, until we reach the other side and defeat the troops at the rear courtyard."

"Good plan." said Zell smiling.

"So, when are we leaving?" asked Rosie looking at the Commander.

Squall shook his head "You´re not going."

Rosie frowned "What?!"

"The junior classmen will need to be transported to another place in the Garden." replied the brunet teen folding his arms. "You will take care of doing that."

"They´re perfectly fine here at the bridge with Cid!" snapped the raven-haired angrily

The brunet shrugged "They´ll be safer in the underground levels."

Rosie´s frown deepened "That´s bull. Why don´t you just say you don´t want me in the team and save yourself the silly explanation?"

"Whatever." replied Squall motioning the other SeeDs to move. His icy stare locked with her heated one for a second "Just do what I told you and stay there with them."

"Like hell!" her voice raised in anger as she moved to follow her friends "I´m going with you whether you want it or not!"

Squall´s taller frame cut off her path "I´m sick of your tantrums!" growled back the brunet, his voice even colder than it normally was "Will you just do what I tell you for once and stop being a damn brat?!"

"I´m the brat?!" asked Rosie before a snicker left her lips "C´mon, Squall! Who´s the one that can´t talk his problems out like an adult and would rather seclude himself from the entire world than face his fears?!"

"At least I´m not _stupid _enough not to recognize when someone doesn´t want my advice."

**Smack!**

The Commander´s right hand went to his face where the raven-haired´s hand had imprinted its red mark on his skin. Rosie´s eyes shimmered with unfallen tears as she took a step backwards. His words stung deeply inside her... All she´d done and he considered her nothing more than a stupid brat?!

"Go to hell, Squall..." muttered the raven-haired before turning her back on him.

Without another word, the Commander exited the room, leaving the still enraged raven-haired alone inside.

ooo ooo

"Sir, Seifer" saluted the same soldier he´d been talking previously with. "The men are ready for battle, sir."

"Cassualities?" asked the blond nonchalantly.

"Erm... we´ve lost half of our total forces, sir." replied the lieutenant a little astonished by the casual way the Knight was referring to their lost men. More over, the blond teen seemed not even a little shocked by the news.

"And them?"

"Uh... we estimate that the SeeDs´ loses are far inferior than ours."

Seifer snorted "I didn´t expect less." The blond turned around, his eyes finally setting on the smaller man before a loud chuckle escaped his mouth, much to the galbadian officer´s surprise. How could the Knight laugh at a time like this? Especially when knowing their enemy had just beaten them in inferior circumstances! "Don´t look so distraught, Lieutenant... the battle will be ours in the end."

The blond teen moved forward, walking pass the soldier "Its just a matter of patience."

ooo ooo

The lift´s doors opened and the SeeDs turned to look at their leader. His jaw was clenched and he avoided eye-contact with any of his friends as he moved towards the front line. His cheek still stinged a little, but he paid it no heed... that was what he get for trying to keep the raven-haired out of harm´s way.

Okay, maybe he had been terribly subtle about the issue... but what was he supposed to do? Hyne knew he wasn´t good with words and with all the pressure of the battle, his ability just seemed to decrease to even less than Laguna´s level... which was saying a lot.

Squall shook his head slightly as he reached his friends´ position, discarding all the thoughts that didn´t have to do anything with the upcoming operation to the back of his mind. Later, when everything had finally settled, he´d sort them out and act according to what he thought was right.

But now, only Seifer and Edea mattered.

"Squall..." the Commander turned to face the woman standing at his right. Quistis concerned blue eyes locked with his as she continued "I think you should say something before we start the operation."

He frowned. "Like what?"

The blonde shrugged "I don´t know. You´re our leader, Squall..." her saphire eyes spared a quick glance to their surroundings "Look around you. Every single SeeD and cadet in this Garden has their hopes settled on you."

The Commander flinched inwardly at Quistis´s comment. He didn´t want to have anyone´s hopes depending on his actions... especially with how things have been developing in the last days. None the less, the brunet´s eyes wandered briefly through the room, noticing the nervousness and slight fear written in the teenagers´ faces. Had they been the same way before the battle started? And if so, had Zell´s pep talk helped them to settle themselves and focus all their energy into the fight?

"_Look, I know your answers were the bitter truth, ok? But you should have thought for a second about Zell´s state of mind!" _

Rosie´s words back at the middle of that forest in the Galbadian plateau flashed in his mind. Squall sighed inaudibly. She´d always been right... but he rather cut his right hand off than admit that to her.

Glancing around again, he decided to finally give in... a little. He wasn´t good at delivering speeches, but giving the present situation, he guessed it was worth the try...

"Listen up!" his voice filled the chamber, the sound of muttered conversation and weapons being prepared died suddenly as the SeeDs attention focused entirely on their leader. "I know everyone is tired. The battle has been difficult... but we can´t back down now." His icy stare wandered through the crowd, female and male SeeDs and cadets´ faces focused solely on his words, his face and his eyes.

"We´ve forced the galbadians to retreat and now we´ll crush them inside their base. This is our last battle... today we´ll settle scores with those who threatened to destroy our homes... Today, we´ll fulfill our destiny as SeeDs."

Revolver left its sheath, the sharp blade glistening faintly under the hall´s lights "For today, we´ll fight and we will win!" The Commander´s voice was overwhelmed by the thundering cheers and battle cries booming across the chamber.

For the second time that day, the SeeDs joined their voices to show their support towards their leader and their cause.

"Well done." muttered Quistis smiling, her voice barely audible among the noise "Whoever said you couldn´t give a decent speech?" added the ex-instructor teasingly.

"Whatever" replied the brunet, eliciting a chuckle from the blonde woman.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note:_

_Okay guys, I´m going to stop right here and now... otherwise I´d have to write 10 more pages and that wouldn´t be good... on my poor fingers, at least :D_

_Inspiration for this chapter came from watching 300 (as you surely noticed, this chappie is a lot more "graphic" and "bloody" – to quote my dear Beta – than the previous ones) and Sun Tsu´s "Art of War" (the all-time master of military strategy), a book I read a couple of years ago and re-read to aid me in writing this and the next chapter._

_Thanks a lot to all the reviewers!! Dagger, thanks for your reviews, dear :D_

_Anyway, stay tunned! ¨Cause next chapter will have lots and lots of action, unexpected twists and only Hyne knows what more :D_

_Mwhahahahahaha!_

_Lots of hugs,_

_Celestial Rage_


	56. Chapter 56 Checkmate

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 56: Checkmate**

By CelestialRage

The peaceful atmosphere of the Centran plains was replaced by the thunderous sound of the two gargantuan bases made as they rammed into one another. The ground a hundred feet below the battling bases shuddered at the sheer force of the brawl and the area´s natural inhabitants sought shelter between the thick foliage of the nearby forests.

Aboard the crimson Garden, the booming sound of footsteps and heavy machinery being moved echoed through the entire facility as the Galbadians steeled themselves for the SeeD´s retaliation on the attack they´d performed on their base.

Inside the huge floating building´s bridge, Seifer Almasy smirked. His jade eyes settled solely on the blue Garden´s front gate and the hundreds of dark-cladded forms visible from his vantage point. His interest, however, didn´t rest on the assembled SeeDs, or even on their leader, his long-life rival, Squall Leonhart...

... no, the one on whose the Knight´s interest laid – unknowingly for him – remained away from the upcoming conflict, deep inside the blue Garden´s bridge.

ooo ooo

Her still stinging palm curled into a tight fist and her teeth clenched as she tried to stop stubborn tears from falling.

He had managed to do it again... but she had to admit that when it come to Squall, her heart became as fragile as china. No wonder he was capable of breaking it with ease.

"_At least I´m not __**stupid**__ enough not to recognize when someone doesn´t want my advice."_

His words repeated inside her brain as a mind-torturing mantra, their meaning getting lost gradually until just one word remained.

_**Stupid**_

Rosie´s trembling frame leaned on Cid´s desk, the raven-haired wasn´t sure which was the greatest cause of her shivers: her rage or the sorrow she felt from knowing Squall didn´t consider her nothing more than a stupid, busybody little girl...

Her fists tightened further and she paid the pain numbing her palm no heed, not even when her fingernails drew a little stream of blood.

... rage was definitely gaining the battle.

Especially when random images of the moments they´d spent together flashed inside her mind. His sleeping form resting on her lap as they traveled to Timber, the look on his face when she´d finally managed to pry open the Iron Clad´s rear door, the silent amusement in his eyes when she´d suggested going skinny dipping and the marvelous feeling of his body against hers in the Training Center...

... didn´t they mean anything to him?

Was she just looking too much into something that wasn´t really there?

Maybe she´d softened his walls for a moment, but they´d certainly returned and with a vengance... Squall was even colder towards her this last two weeks than he had been when they first met.

At least back then, he´d give her a chance to come relatively near...

... now he retreated before she could even take a step closer.

She was given the chance to breach his defenses and reach out to the real him – not the Commander of Balamb, not the SeeD, not the gunblader, not the warrior, but the real Squall... the young, strong-willed, brave, intelligent and frightened teenager he was. The one who was thrown in the middle of a world-wide conflict on his seemingly easy first mission, a person who had accepted leadership and all the responsibility it included and was right now fighting the greatest threat to the entire planet.

He didn´t have to like it... but still he did it.

And she admired him for it.

Rosie was given the chance to know him, to fall in love with him and to help him pull through the barriers that had concealed him away from the world...

... and on that, she had failed.

A sudden knock on the door, made the raven-haired snap back to reality and quickly dry the tears still dampening her eyes with the back of his hand.

"Rosie? You ok?" Nida´s concerned voice made her gut twitch. Surely the dark haired SeeD had heard the whole conmotion. Hell! It had been so loud she wouldn´t be surprised if Adel had heard them through her umpenetrable jail´s walls.

Turning around, after managing settling herself, the girl smiled a little and nodded "Sure, don´t worry about me." Suddenly realizing the pilot wasn´t where he was supposed to be, she asked "Who is-?"

"Autopilot." interrupted Nida grinning "According to the plan, I still have 3 minutes left before ramming Galbadia Garden." the male SeeD entered the room, his booted footsteps echoing hollowly on the carpeted floor until he took a seat next to the raven-haired on Cid´s desk. Almond orbs locked on deep chocolate as he nonchalantly said "Squall is a jerk... a great leader, but a jerk none the less."

Rosie smiled, sniffing a little "You´re telling me." A slight snort left her lips as she broke eye contact and turned her attention to her hands. Her self-inflicted injures vanished as she called upon a weak healing spell. A silent minute passed, her mind still going around the last thoughts she had...

... her failure.

"But you know..." she finally said, untangling herself from the mahogany surface with a tired sigh "... he might be right."

Nida remained silent, watching her every move and waiting for her to continue.

"I´m stupid for thinking _I _could break his shell." Her voice was so low, had the dark haired SeeD not been listening intently, her words would have gone unheard. "All I ever wanted was for him to be happy... but I failed."

_All I can do now is step over._

_I just hope Rinoa can achieve it someday..._

_... that my mistake doesn´t mean he´ll never learn to love._

Sighing, Rosie started walking towards the door, stopping just as she reached it and turning enough to look at the pilot´s face "We better be going... but thanks for the support" a small smile graced her lips before her frame dissapeared behind the door.

ooo ooo

The SeeDs planted their feet firmly as the ground beneath them moved slightly backwards. Irvine´s hand descended to grab Selphie´s. The cowboy gave her a reasurring smile and a light squeeze, which was returned in full force by the tiny brunette before his hand retreated to tighten his hold on Valiant.

"Ready!" ordered Squall narrowing his eyes in concentration. Xu, Quistis, Zell, Selphie, Irvine, Dante and other 10 SeeDs following his example. Each of them reached out to one of the entities junctioned to their minds.

The ground shifted again, this time forwards, all bodies tensed as they prepared for the collision.

"Now!"

Even though the GFs could be summoned in a more stealthy way if desired, Squall´s intention was for the galbadians to see as they called forth their supernatural allies and so, the SeeDs frames were surrounded by multicolored light as their Guardians left their bodies to accomplish their orders.

The galbadians watched in horror as their enemy´s front line dissapeared for a second behind colorful flashes. Their terror and confusion escalated when several roars and screetches were heard, followed by the rocking of their base as the Guardians destroyed their northern defenses.

As the Commander had forseen, the furthest troops turned on their heels and ran towards the breached zone.

Garden´s humming was muffled by the thundering blast resulting from the impact of the two gargantuan bases. True to his word, Nida had managed to ram Balamb´s blue structure deep within Galbadia´s red one, both facilities now meshed as one.

If Galbadia´s attack had been impressive, the SeeDs´ didn´t fall behind. The dark tsunami started moving with Squall and his squad at the front. The Commander´s blade was the first to meet flesh as both armies collided again.

Magical blasts flew and sizzled everywhere, the sounds of their characteristical blasts merging with that of steel meeting steel and powder exploding. The galbadians´ front lines were quickly decimated as the SeeDs attacked like a furious river, their wrath raining down the enemy, punishing their weak points and efficently penetrating their defenses.

ooo ooo

Seifer´s jade gaze scanned the enemy´s front line through the wide monitors placed at the bridge. The galbadians had installed several cameras along the whole facility since they transformed it into their new base, to make the surveillance work easier. His eyes narrowed when he detected the dark cladded form of his rival. Jade orbs left the Commander´s fighting frame to keep their search for the Knight´s primary objective, his grip on Hyperion´s handle tightening as he pinned Quistis, Xu, Selphie, Irvine and Zell´s figures out of the mass of SeeDs and cadets.

"She´s not here." muttered the blond young man frowning.

"She? Who, sir?" asked one of the galbadian technicians sitting at the control panels on the bridge.

The Knight remained silent, his eyes reasurring him that the raven-haired girl he´d been searching for was indeed missing. Scanning the area near the Commander, Seifer´s frown deepened. He knew Rosie would be near Squall... every single time he´d seen them ever since becoming the Sorceress´s Knight, they´d been together and he couldn´t think of a reason why today would be different.

... still, Kid wasn´t there.

Which only meant, she had to be inside the SeeD base.

And with the numbers Squall was handing in the battle, she surely was almost alone.

Seifer´s smirk returned. "Lieutenant, keep the front line busy. Lock all the second and third floor doors leading to the Sorceress´s chamber. Commander Fujin and Captain Raijin will be in charge while I´m away."

"A-Away, sir?" asked the officer saluting the blond

"Yes." said the Knight turning around, his heavy footsteps growing towards the door "I´m going to collect our prize."

ooo ooo

Revolver moved like an extension of the gunblader´s body, its sharp blade meeting steel and then flesh as Squall parried the galbadian´s assault before dancing past them and bringing his weapon through his opponents. His hand flickered and a lightening bolt left the globed palm, inmovilizing a SAM unit briefly in place before he jumped on its back and calling forth another Thunder spell, the Commander´s magically infused blade pierced the heavy armored robot before the magic left the weapon and crushed the machine´s circuits, rendering it useless.

Xu and Zell fought together, helping each other as they moved swiftly through the confused blue and red sea. Her sais glimmed before piercing the tough-looking armor plates and leaving a trail of death behind her graceful figure. Zell grabbed a galbadian´s head and smashed it against his knee, the forceful blow even managing to shatter the poor soul´s helmet to pieces. A second later, the martial artist´s left leg went up, catching another trooper squarely on the chest and sending him away, knocking at least 5 of his comrades in the process.

Quistis´s palms flashed red as flames left her delicate hands, her fire magic merging with Thelma´s weapon blasts. The skinny cadet wielded her huge flamethrower, the fiery attack burning everything on its path and gaining the agonizing screams of the unfortunate galbadians enveloped in the girl´s destructive range. The blonde ex-instructor´s whip uncoiled with lightening speed, snaking around a trooper´s throat and snapping it seconds before he managed to injure the unsuspecting Thelma, who was too focused on destroying a heavy armored GIM unit.

Selphie´s Wall raised, protecting a group of cadets from a berseking machine. Irvine´s AP rounds finished the work some of the said students had started, crushing the cyborg´s main generator, while the tiny brunette´s ice magic prevented it from harming anyone with the explotion.

ooo ooo

The door to the small waiting room across Cid´s office opened, the Headmaster´s voice died down and all the stares fell on the figure entering the chamber. Rosie smiled at the sight: Cid sat on a couch with a fairy-tale book resting on his lap, around him sitting either on the other cushions or scattered through the carpeted floor were more or less three dozen children, whose age couldn´t be above 9 years old.

The raven-haired closed the door behind her and was surprised when small arms wrapped around her legs. Looking down, she found the smiling face of the little redhead she´d seen on the infirmary the day she arrived Garden.

"Hi, Rachel!" greeted the older girl, ruffling the smooth fiery hair.

"Rosie.. was the Commander too angry with you?" asked the little cadet with the innocence only a child can muster.

The raven-haired wanted to bang her head against the nearest wall. Damn! Even the kids had heard their heated discussion... She just hoped Cid didn´t make a fuss over it. Shaking her head a little and forcing a smile more for the girl´s sake, she said "No, honey... don´t worry about it. The Commander is a Grinch."

"What´s that?" asked another boy.

Rosie´s eyes widened dramatically "You don´t know what a Grinch is?!" she asked while looking at the assembled children.

"No." they yelled in unison

Sighing in an exaggerated fashion, she shook her head and turned to look at the Headmaster "What do they teach children these days?" The older man shrugged, smiling and Rosie folded her arms "Well, seems I´ll have no other choice but to tell you the story of the Grinch, uh?"

The kids cheered and began to settle themselves again when the raven-haired shook her head and said "But it won´t be here. We have to make a trip first..." her attention returned to the Headmaster "Squall wants us to move to NORG´s former room, it´s safer there."

Cid nodded and closed his book, Rosie´s eyes detecting the glint of a gun partially hidden on the old man´s lap. "Kids, I want you to line in front of the door, please." While the children complied, she neared the Headmaster and unsheating Reaper, handed it to him. "This one´s better, sir."

When Cid didn´t move, she said "I won´t be able to take all the children downstairs at once and with all the SeeDs attacking Galbadia Garden, Nida and I are the only ones left up here." A small smile graced her lips as she continued "Besides, I was never too comfortable wielding it anyway."

The Headmaster nodded slightly, finally taking the offered weapon from the girl´s hands. She smiled briefly at him before turning around and saying "I´m going to divide you in 3 groups. I´ll take one downstairs while the other 2 stay here taking care of the Headmaster, ok?"

Much to her surprise – and amusement – the kids saluted her. Smiling, Rosie quickly assembled the "squads" as she called them. "Kay, soldiers!" said the raven-haired in a serious Squall-ishly voice that incited chuckles between the children and even the older man. "Squad A move out."

The respective members of the first team started their way towards the lift, between stiffled giggles and heavy marching-style steps. Rosie shook her head slightly and grinning, turned to look at Cid

"I´ll be right back."

ooo ooo

Several minutes had passed since the last galbadian wave had stood at their base´s front Gate and now the SeeDs were deep within the building´s perimeter area. The Commander´s attacking strategy, along with the drills and extra-training he´d submited them to, had proven themselves terribly efficent as the galbadian army was easily anhililated once the panic and confusion brought by the Guardian Forces had spread through their ranks like fire on a dry field.

Squall´s blade impaled the last standing trooper in the area, his icy eyes scanning the large courtyard and detecting his comrades´ positions as they battled the remaining cyborg units. Thunder spells racked the machines, their now useless parts flying in all directions between the cheers of the SeeDs.

The supernatural entities returned to their masters´ minds once they were sure the battle was over and their services were no longer required. Quistis smiled in Squall´s direction, her slender right hand placing golden strands of silky hair behind her ear. Zell and Thelma were hooting in unison, while Selphie bounced excitedly in her place, whirling her nunchakus around much to Irvine´s amusement.

The Commander raised his weapon and nodded, claiming a definite victory for SeeD and the entire free world.

ooo ooo

"... it was- " Rosie´s voice died down and she narrowed her eyes at the sudden blast. Turning her attention from Rachel´s face to her left, the raven-haired glanced at the 2nd floor´s hallway through the blue, semi-transparent lift´s doors. She was on her way to deliver the second group of kids to the safety of NORG´s former living quarters when the ceiling just near the classrooms´ main corridor crumbled and a green hoverfoil entered the structure.

Her eyes widened as she recognized the blond figure piloting the galbadian vehicle through the wreckage.

ooo ooo

Seifer frowned at the cloud of dust his forceful entrance had incited. He knew he´d to hurry and find Kid as quickly as possible. With Squall and the SeeD´s rythm, the galbadian lines wouldn´t last long... and he´d to return to his Sorceress´s side before his rival and the others arrived.

Otherwise, all would be lost.

A soft humming at his right made the blond turn to look towards the elevator´s shaft. The lift was decending and he could make out various small shapes, along with a taller one. His trademark smirk appeared as his jade eyes locked with startled, dark ones.

Seems Lady Luck was on his side, after all.

ooo ooo

_There´s no turning back now..._

Indeed, the "infiltration squad" was already assembled. The male SeeDs that were going to fight the Sorceress had finally been selected between the best Garden had to offer. Squall would lead the team, Zell, Irvine, Dante and Kevin, one of the veteran instructors, would be under the Commander´s orders.

Xu and Quistis would be in charge of leading the rest of the SeeDs on their search for the rest of the galbadian troops that had cowardly fled from the battleground. However, they had strict orders to keep away from the chambers Rosie had told them the Sorceress would be occuping.

Squall´s stormy eyes travelled from Zell´s face to Irvine´s, his next words - he knew – were solely meant for them. "Forget about the past. Don´t think twice for a second... There´s no way we can fight her like that." His coppery head shook slightly "I, for one, can´t." His cold determined voice grew slightly louder "She´s our enemy now. We´ve come this far and there´s no turning back."

Zell and Irvine nodded silently.

Squall nodded back. "Everyone ready?"

"Born ready, baby!" replied the martial artist cracking his knuckles.

"Then let´s move on."

ooo ooo

_What the hell is he doing here?! _

Rosie´s eyes widened further as the Knight swiflty jumped off of the hoverfoil and started his way towards the still descending lift, sporting a smirk that would have made the Grinch proud, on his handsome face.

Few seconds later, the elevator halted forcefully and the sound of the crystal doors being shattered and the pieces colliding against the lift´s steel ceiling reached her ears. Startled, the kids whimpered in fear, their cries growing louder as a heavy object – most likely Seifer – landed on the roof.

"Shit!" cursed the raven-haired between clenched teeth as she quickly tore her eyes from the lift´s top to the floor, detecting the emergency hatch. Crouching, she opened it hastily and cursed again under her breath as she noticed the ladder was too far away for the children to grasp, making it an impossible escape route.

A knock on the roof made her attention shift again. "Little pigs, little pigs, let me in." Sing-songed Seifer amusedly.

Frantically looking around, the raven-haired´s eyes fell on the lift´s control panel. Quickly getting up, Rosie´s right hand planted firmly on the circuit and summoning Quetzalcoatl, she willed the Guardian to move the lift downwards. A hoarse yelp reached her ears and she couldn´t help the smile that spread through her face. Unfortunatelly, Seifer regained his balance quickly and started to pry open the ceiling´s heavy hatch.

"C´mon, c´mon, quick!" pleaded Rosie, closing her eyes in concentration as she tried to remain calm between her own fear and the kid´s frightened whimpers. Soon enough, the lift reached the basement and the doors opened with their trademark _ping_.

"Quick, get off! Everybody run!" ordered the raven-haired, her right hand still on the control panel as her left helped some of the kids to get out the elevator. The screams of the recently arrived children and the ones from "squad A" merged as Seifer´s hand wrapped over the heavy lid. Rosie could see his smiling face for a second before she jumped out of the lift after the last child exited. The doors closed as soon as her hand left the panel and she knew the few seconds that separated them from the Knight were essencial to bring the numerous kids to safety.

"Go, go!" yelled the raven-haired, picking up a small boy as she ran. "Quick! Behind the pod!" The trembling children assembled in the back of NORG´s life-sustaining vessel, their whimpers and cries getting louder by the minute. Rosie tried to calm herself as she deposited her precious cargo on the floor near his friends "Listen up. Nothing´s going to happen, ok?" she smiled a little for the kids´ sake "I need you to calm down."

The lift doors exploded at that precise moment, making her efforts to calm the kids futile. Her mind raced, while she looked around trying to find another way out. Unfortunatelly, NORG´s former room was nothing more than a wide, almost empty chamber and the only exit laid in the center of it, in the form of an elevator shaft.

"Honey, I´m home!" Seifer´s voice echoed through the room, his slow, heavy steps following after.

Rosie´s eyes narrowed. She didn´t have many time left before the blond found them. And even if she summoned a GF to protect the kids, if Seifer knocked her out, the Guardian´s protection will finish, leaving the children to the Knight´s mercy...

What could she do?

A squeaky sound echoed in her brain and she smiled at the GF´s disposition. Though she didn´t understand the language, the little creature´s intent became crystal clear to her.

Her eyes returned to the kids and she grabbed the small redhead´s hand "Rachel, honey, listen to me." A bright green light flashed on the raven-haired´s hand "I´m going to lend you one of my Guardians, he´s going to take care of you, ok?"

_Carbuncle, please protect them!_

Another squeak was the answer before the green flash traveled from Rosie´s hand to the small girl´s frame. The kids watched in awe as Rachel´s body gleamed slightly before the green, rabbit-like creature appeared before them and planted itself firmly in front of the raven-haired´s retreating frame, a green, shiny domme enveloping the children as the ruby on its tinny forehead gleamed brightly.

"There you are!" Seifer´s voice made Rosie whirl and come face to face with the amused Knight.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn´t you be with your Sorceress?" asked the raven-haired placing herself between the Knight and Carbuncle´s magically protected children.

Noticing the girl´s efforts for keeping the junior classmen safe, the blond chuckled "Tell you what..." said Seifer smuggly while cracking his knuckles loudly. "I´ll give you the chance to defend yourself, Kid." Glancing at her holster, he noticed her gun was nowhere to be found. "I´ll even be nice. No weapons or magic." His green eyes lightened with amusement as he leered at her "... just you and me."

Rosie frowned.

Even without weapons or magic, the blond was way faster and stronger than her. Besides, this was none other than Seifer Almasy, for Hyne´s sake! He was just too damn good for her to handle on her own.

_He´s just playing with me... _

_There´s no way in hell I can beat him and he knows it!_

But that didn´t mean she was going down without a fight either.

Though it wasn´t pride what moved her, Rosie knew she´d never forgive herself if she gave up easily to the Knight. Maybe she couldn´t defeat him, but he´d have to make some effort to bring her down... even if it was the slightest, but he would.

The raven-haired shifted her weight slightly, placing her right foot a step back to support her in case she needed to move. Her hands clenched at her sides and she brought them up slowly, adopting the pose Zell had taught them and which was very similar to the one the martial-artist stroke whenever he was preparing for a fight.

Grinning widely, Seifer took a confident step forwards, watching in delight as the girl´s body tensed visibly. "Well, well, well. Seems someone has been practicing Wuss-fu, uh?"

Rosie didn´t reply, her eyes narrowed and her attention focused solely on Seifer´s moves. The blond smirked briefly before suddenly dashing forwards and grabbing the raven-haired´s throat. To his astonishment, Rosie whipped her head to the side, her left hand slamming his elbow hard as her right painfully bent his fingers backwards, sending the young man to his knees briefly before a smaller knee hit him squarely on the face.

Silently thanking Zell for the brief self-defense lessons, Rosie turned around and dashed towards the other side of the room. The kids´ cheers reached her ears as she moved as fast as she could. She knew Seifer would follow her, thus leaving the children alone and though her little stunt had bought her precious time, the raven-haired also knew she´d to move fast if she wanted to find some help.

More stunned by the girl´s swift reaction than injured by it, the blond regained his bearings after a few seconds. Nurturing his abused jaw, the Knight smiled amusedly.

Who would have believed the little thing had guts?

Suddenly, hearing the quickly distancing footsteps, Seifer smirked cockily before giving his prey chase.

Rosie´s heart made a somersault as she heard the blonde man rapidly approaching between the kids´ cries of her name. She forced her fear down as it made her limbs feel weak and focused instead in the nearing elevator´s entrance.

Suddenly, the floor under her feet simply exploded, hurling her a couple of meters away. Before she could start rising, she found herself pinned to the cold steel ground by Seifer´s heavy frame. A strong hand held hers steady above her head, while the other planted itself firmly on her forehead and Rosie´s eyes widened as she realized what the blond was trying to do...

Trying to wiggle out of the Knight´s embrace, the raven-haired´s mind wrapped around her Guardian´s inmaterial frame, but Seifer´s GFs aided the young man´s intent greatly and Quetzalcoatl´s shinny light left Rosie´s body to merge with the blond´s brain. The girl whimpered in slight pain as she felt a huge void engulf her gut at the Guardian´s forceful departure.

"I´ll need to borrow your lift´s key. Hope you don´t mind." said the blond grinning.

Seifer´s grip seemed to intensify, but Rosie knew it was just due to her lack of junctioned strenght. Her heart fell in despair as the reality of her helplessness suddenly hit her... if it had been nearly impossible to escape the Knight before, now her hopes had dropped under zero.

"Get the hell off me, you cheater!" yelled the raven-haired angrily, wiggling madly and amusing the young man greatly with her futile intents.

Seifer grinned. "My, my... such a fierce kitten!"

Rosie hissed in pain as she was pulled harshly to her feet. Seifer´s grip on her wrists painfully intensifying as he forced the abused limbs behind her back. She tried to wiggle free, but the blond was simply a manifestation of power.

"Besides Kid, you should know by now that all is valid in love and war."

"Let go of me!" she wheezed angrily, gaining a chuckle from the Knight as a strong arm wrapped around her, lifting her frantically squirming frame off the ground. "Let g-!" her voice was lost as the blond cast a Silence spell on her.

"I don´t think so, babe." purred Seifer maliciously bending over so he could speak directly into her ear. "I´ve got some things planned out for you." The heat of his breath tickling her neck made her shiver in fear and anger, so she resumed her squirming. Her legs lashed backwards, trying to catch a knee or shin but all she ever got was another disdainful laugh from the Knight. Even when she did hit her target, her strenght was nothing compared to the young man´s and so, she very well could have been trying to bring down a T-Rexaur using a toothpick.

Her face turned to look at the blond, regarding him with a deadly glare he´d never seen on the raven-haired´s face before. However, Seifer was familiar with the ice in her stare. His trademark smirk widened "Seems you´ve been hanging around Puberty Boy too much, Kid."

His answer was another fierce struggle, which ended as he painfully tightened his grip around her, efficently knocking the air off her lungs. Grinning at the girl´s spunk, the Knight decided to take his leave before someone came over and ruined his well-earned victory. "C´mon, baby. My Sorceress has been aching to meet you."

ooo ooo

Edea´s amber eyes opened, the orbs concealed behind dark-coloured eyelids flashing violet for a second before the yellowish hue took precedence again. Her regal frame rested on the same throne-like chair it had been for almost 2 days straight now. A slight frown graced her forehead as the images of Squall´s squad moving through the facility flashed in her mind.

She remembered that insolent brat...

He was the one who _dared_ to challenge her back at Deling City, but most importantly, he almost succeeded in taking her down. Now, his cursed SeeD army had managed to defeat the numerous troops she´d assembled and was running to her encounter.

Well, let the fool come!

She´ll crush him and the insolent SeeDs this time!

Her right hand raised as she willed one of her Guardians to manifest itself. A deep, booming roar made the walls shudder and a gigantic metallic-like entity appeared before her.

"Bleed those SeeDs dry! Take their pityful souls to your realm!" hissed the Sorceress maliciously.

Her answer was a bone-chilling howl and the faint sulfuric scent the Guardian left after it vanished in a smoky cloud.

ooo ooo

"Down this corridor we´ll get access to the Garden´s second floor main area." said Irvine, his tall frame towering over Squall´s as both men moved in the front of the small squad. The cowboy´s normally relaxed expression tensed all of a sudden, his booted footsteps halting as a deep male voice reached his ears.

"We should just go, ya know?"

"Raijin." hissed Zell frowning. The last encounter with the bronze man was still fresh in the martial-artist mind.

Squall nodded and taking the lead, leaned against the wall, his head turning enough to see around the corner. Raijin´s bulky frame was standing in front the lithe figure of Fujin, whose permanent frown seemed even deeper. But more than annoyance at the dark-skinned man´s babbling, the albino´s expression seemed almost... sad.

"I know we´re supposed to be in charge, but I don´t wanna fight, ya know?" said Raijin sighing.

"UNDERSTAND." replied his friend nodding. "HOME."

"Yeah, I wanna go home too, ya know?"

Squall´s frown deepened. Were Seifer´s two most loyal followers backing away from the fight? Something must have been very wrong if the Knight´s posse were getting the jitters. The Commander´s right hand wrapped around Revolver´s hilt as he moved out of the wall´s protection, his dark-cladded form now visible for the other two ex-cadets.

"Whoa! Squall?!" exclaimed Raijin astonished at the brunet´s abrupt appereance. However, neither the dark-skinned man nor the albino woman moved to retrieve their respective weapons or use their magical resources.

A thick silence descended between the opposite groups until Fujin sighed and said "...REQUEST", then her crimson eye shifted to glance at the tall man standing beside her.

He nodded and returned his attention to the SeeDs "We don´t wanna fight anymore, ya know? But Seifer just keeps with this shit... and we can´t talk him outta it, ya know?"

"KNIGHT"

"Yeah, he says that while he remains the Knight to the Sorceress, he´s gotta accomplish her desires, ya know?" said Raijin shaking his head "We don´t know what´s going on anymore. We only want the old Seifer back, ya know?"

"If we defeat Edea, we might be able to do something for him, don´t you think, Commander?" replied Kevin looking at Squall.

The brunet remained silent. If Seifer was in this on his own free will – as he had demonstrated up until now – Squall highly doubted they could help him out of the deep shit he´d buried himself in... and also, the brunet still didn´t know if he´d be willing to help the blond after all that had happened.

"All right." he replied coldly after a hesitant minute, more for Seifer´s friends sake, as both teenagers kept gazing nervously in his direction.

Raijin smiled and a very little similar gesture lightened Fujin´s features for a second. The bronze man neared Squall and producing a small crimson keycard, handed it over to the brunet. "You´ll need this to unlock the doors leading to the head honcho´s office, ya know?"

"EDEA" added Fujin nodding.

"Yeah, she´s in there, ya know?" said Raijin. His dark gaze turned to look at his smaller friend "We better go, ya know? Seifer will be back soon."

"Back?" asked Squall, his eyes narrowing at the sudden declaration. So, Seifer had left Galbadia Garden? What for?

The dark-skinned youth shrugged "Said he was going to retrieve some prize, ya know?"

"Prize?" asked Zell, his puzzled expression mirroring in Irvine´s face as they turned to look at each other. "What kind of prize could he retrieve in Ba-?" his words died in his mouth as a sudden memory played for his mind´s eye. Seifer´s smirking face back in his hometown, the galbadian army surrounding him, Squall and a raven-haired girl...

His baby blue eyes widened. "Oh, fuck!"

The martial artist´s expression was nothing compared with the one adorning the normally stoic Commander´s face. Squall´s voice was heard again, this time, however, his tone was nothing like the calm, cold SeeD they all knew... his words were just above a whisper and an unusual emotion tinged each syllable.

"Rosie"

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note:_

_Poor Rosie! Seems luck isn´t on her side lately... (sigh)_

_Anyway, I wanna thank – as always – all the reviewers, especially Dagger and Jeanneandheralters. As you can see dear, I´m also too lazy to send a PM right now, so I rather thank you this way :D _

_Seems everyone´s happy at Rosie for slapping Squall, uh? Well, guess the guy kinda deserved it since a while ago :D_

_Well, hope you liked this chapter and c´ya on the next one!!_

_Lots of hugs,_

_Celestial Rage _


	57. Chapter 57 End of all hope

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 57: End of all hope**

By CelestialRage

Nida´s eyes narrowed when he detected a small, green flying device leaving Balamb´s vicinity and moving towards Galbadia Garden. Quickly grabbing the binoculars on the control panel, the dark haired SeeD focused on the retreating object.

His eyes widened as he recognized the struggling form concealed by a tall, blond and very familiar figure. His hold on the visual device was forgotten, the binoculars slidding through his fingers and colliding with the steel floor with a loud clang as a couple of words left his lips.

"Oh, Hyne!"

ooo ooo

"Kevin, find Quistis and Xu! Tell them to assemble a squad and return to Balamb A.S.A.P. They gotta find Rosie and protect her while we defeat Edea." ordered Squall, his stern tone returning in full force.

The news on Seifer´s motive to leave the galbadian base had shaken the Commander deeply, though he refused his sudden panic to show. And although his first instinct was to turn around and bolt to Garden, he knew he couldn´t give himself the luxury of weakness at this point.

Not with Edea´s inevitable wrath waiting for them down the corridor.

"Yes, sir!" replied the older SeeD saluting his superior briefly before turning on his heels and sprinting down the hall.

"C´mon, we gotta move!" ordered the Commander before walking pass Raijin´s bulky frame.

"Squall, she-" Zell´s voice was cut off by his comrade´s cold reply.

"I know!" growled the brunet back. His blue-grey eyes were darker than usual, an intense determination shinning in their stormy depths "I don´t know why Seifer wants her, but we gotta stop them! If we take Edea out, Seifer goes down with her."

_And then, she will be safe..._

"We´re worried about Rosie too." Irvine´s calm voice contrasted deeply with Squall´s tone. Both men´s gazes locked for a moment and the sharpshooter nodded "She´ll be okay."

The brunet didn´t reply.

Instead, he turned around and resumed his way, the grip he held on Revolver´s tilt tightening as he prepared for the final confrontation.

ooo ooo

"Boom!" yelled Selphie excitedly, her right hand lifting in the air as she shouldered the heavy galbadian grenade launcher. Her cybernetic target already burning to ashes, along with another machine that was also engulfed by the blast – though not exactly due to Selphie´s good aim. "See that?" asked the tiny SeeD grinning to the girl standing at her right "Two in a row!"

Thelma snorted "Rookie luck." The skinny brunet brought her rocket-launcher to the front, her eyes focused on the weapon´s sight. A small smirk graced her lips as she pulled the trigger. A couple of seconds later, the resulting blast had finished with the remaining 4 SAM units inside the garage. Her still smirking face turned to regard Selphie´s shorter frame "Now, that´s what I call impressive."

The girl in the yellow dress shrugged "Well, mine was more exciting."

Thelma raised an eyebrow and folded her arms "Yeah, the grenade would have blasted us to smitherens had I not kicked it in the right direction."

Selphie smiled shyly. "Okay, I admit I gotta practice my aim a little more." Before the other girl could come up with a sarcastic reply, the tiny SeeD turned around and said "C´mon, we gotta report to Quisty."

ooo ooo

Her whip danced around a GIM´s heavy armored frame before the ex-instructor´s spell was released. Thunder magic engulfed the slim weapon as it snaked around the machine´s bulky figure, sparks flying everywhere as the shocking embrace fried the weapon´s circuits completely.

"Seems it was the last one." said a female voice behind the blonde SeeD. The sound of the dark haired´s sais being sheated following close.

Quistis turned to look at her friend, coiling her whip with one swift hand motion. Her eyes descended to her waist as she secured her weapon in the belt dancing around her slim hips "Yeah, our job is done. Now only Seifer and the Sorceress remain..." Azure orbs narrowed in concern and she raised them to meet Xu´s darker gaze "I only hope they´re alright."

The dark haired SeeD smiled "We all do, dear. We all do."

ooo ooo

The door to the room opened in a hasty motion, the mahogany surface colliding loudly with the wall near it. Cid´s eyes shot from the book on his lap to the entrance, his hand tightening around Reaper´s handle as he quickly brought the gun up, its cannon directed to the figure standing in the doorframe.

"S-Sir!" Nida´s shaky voice made the Headmaster frown and put away his weapon. "He´s got her!"

"Calm down, son. What are you saying?" asked the older man standing up from the couch he´d been occuping. The kids around him were startled and silently looked as Cid took a couple of steps towards the dark haired SeeD before his frame came to a halt at the sound of Nida´s next words.

"Rosie... Seifer has her."

ooo ooo

The door opened with a loud _whoosh_ and the Commander quickly stepped through, Zell, Irvine and Dante following close. They´d just reached the Garden´s core, the luminous collumn the sun´s light formed as it breached the building through a circular hole on the rooftop iluminated the whole chamber.

Squall´s eyes narrowed as he noticed the huge room was completely silent. According to the blueprints he´d studied, the auditorium was just below their postion and the guest room they´d stayed at on their visit almost a couple of months ago was located at their left. His stormy eyes lifted to the ceiling, detecting the small popping chamber just above their heads: Martine´s former office and now Edea´s chamber.

The brunet looked around one more time, his frown deepening further.

He was confused.

Shouldn´t there be some kind of guard protecting this crucial spot? Where was the GF Rosie had told him about? And even if it wasn´t here, the Commander had expected at least a galbadian garrison ready to greet them...

... but the chamber was empty.

Only a few motorcycles and equipment laid scattered around the central area of the huge room. The other doors leading to the chamber were closed, red lights blinking on the keycard readers attached to the walls beside them.

Still, his hand drew Revolver slowly. The sound of the blade leaving its sheath was the only sound in the otherwise silent room. Something wasn´t right and he knew it...

"C´mon, we´re close" his booted feet started their way towards the corridor leading to the lift, when a sudden loud-pitched howl boomed through the room.

The SeeDs spun, all their weapons were quickly readied with a _snap_ as their eyes frantically searched for the sound´s source. Squall´s eyes narrowed further when a sudden rancid scent reached his nose. The cowboy behind him frowned and grunting, turned to look at Zell, whose eyes widened before folding his arms in annoyance.

"It wasn´t me, man!" said the martial artist before sniffing the air briefly and frowning "It smells like sulfur."

"With your diet, nothing would surprise me, Zell." replied the cowboy, eliciting a chuckle from Dante.

The blond´s reply was lost as a huge three-headed dog suddenly appeared before them, its bulky frame slowly materializing from a dark smoky cloud. Its whole body seemed to be covered by metallic scales and the long, powerful tail moved like a whip above the three meancing-looking heads. The canine faces growled in unison, baring sharp, long teeth while three pairs of amber eyes gleamed with malicious intent.

Cerberus, the Guardian of Hell had arrived.

ooo ooo

"Xu! Quistis!" the male voice made both SeeDs to halt and turn on their heels to regard the approaching figure.

Xu´s relaxed expression tensed as she recognized the auburn-haired man. "Kevin? What are you doing here?"

"Where are Squall and the others?" asked Quistis anxiously taking a couple of steps towards him.

"They´re on their way to Edea´s chamber." replied the male SeeD between raged breaths "Squall sent me to give you an order." His green eyes settled on Xu´s dark ones as he said "He wants you to assemble a squad and return to Garden A.S.A.P."

"Why?" asked the blonde woman frowning.

Kevin shook his head. "He said something about protecting a girl named Rosie... apparently Seifer is after her."

"What?!" Xu´s eyes widened. Turning to Quistis – who shared the same startled expression – the dark-haired woman said "You think he knows about-?"

"He must." muttered the blonde SeeD frowning deeper. Though how had the Knight acquired the knowledge about Rosie´s origins and her noesis about their world was a complete mystery to her.

Suddenly remembering the raven-haired had stayed almost alone inside their base, Quistis turned around as she uncoiled her whip "C´mon! We gotta return to Garden!"

ooo ooo

"We must tell Squall." said Cid, his heavy frame moving as quickly as he could towards the lift. A sudden fear engulfed his gut as the thought of the raven-haired´s purpose down in the basement flashed in his mind. The Headmaster turned to face Nida, a frightened look in his grey eyes "And what about the junior classmen? Did you see someone else with Seifer and Rosie?"

The SeeD shook his head "No. Just them, sir."

"We have to make sure they´re safe." Cid´s finger pressed the down button, but the characteristical green light didn´t shine. He tried again twice, before finally helping Nida to open the lift´s blue doors.

Gazing down the shaft, the dark-haired SeeD´s eyes narrowed when he detected the elevator wrecked far below, as though it had fell from the first or second floors. "It´s useless, sir. The lift´s ruined."

The Headmaster turned around, quickly walking pass the room where the rest of the junior classmen watched nervously the two older men´s actions. Cid climbed the small cargo lift that led to the bridge and as fast as his actual mind condition allowed him, turned on the intercom.

"Attention all SeeD personel. Garden has been breached. The junior classmen and a fellow cadet could be in danger. All available non-combat engaged units must report to the elevator shaft´s immediately."

ooo ooo

Zell rolled to his left, barely avoiding being impaled by Cerberus´s sharp tail by inches. The Hellhound growled as Valiant´s AP bullets rained over its bulky form. Three jaws opened at once and triplet bolts of light left the demonic dog´s muzzle, one of them catching the cowboy´s body.

Dante quickly cast a healing spell on the sharpshooter´s frame as the other two SeeDs lunged towards Cerberus. The Guardian whirled, its sharp tail snapping like a whip on the spot where Squall´s frame had stood mere seconds before.

The gunblader jumped over the GF´s body, Revolver´s sharp blade sliding through the armored flesh as Squall moved along the Hellhounds´s lenght. A painful whine left the canine´s throats as the Commander finished his job by pulling the gunblade´s trigger twice, the explossive massive-caliber rounds piercing its flesh painfully before the brunet´s frame left the Guardian´s vicinity.

Cerberus trashed wildly, its heavy muzzle (one of them) catching Zell squarely on the chest as the martial artist moved to assist his comrade. The blond was hurled backwards, barely managing to flip in mid air and land as swiftly as a cat.

Suddenly, a loud _crash_ echoed through the room and heavy debris fell from the ceiling. The brunet´s eyes turned upwards, as the light column in the middle of the chamber widened. The sunlight was briefly overtaken by shadows as a green flying device entered the room.

"Puberty boy!" the familiar voice made the Commander´s blood boil. His grey-blue eyes narrowed as he settled them on the tall blond figure. A flash of green could be seen between Seifer´s white-clothed arms and Squall´s heart skipped a beat as he recognized the lithe figure held firmly in his rival´s limbs.

"Rosie!" his voice echoed through the chamber, managing to muffle Cerberus´s angry growls and snaps as it battled the martial artist.

The raven-haired struggled against her restraint again. Her eyes settled on the brunet´s distant figure as her mouth opened, but her cry of his name went unheard thanks to the spell cast over her by the Knight.

Her dark eyes widened in horror as the Hellhound´s tail caught Zell´s frame, hurling him towards the unsuspecting Commander. Rosie´s silent warning was useless as the martial artist collided against the brunet. Squall´s back banged against the nearest wall between the victorious howls of Cerberus´s three heads.

Seifer smirked "Seems you´re a bit busy, Squall." His trademark feature widening as blue-grey eyes snapped open, sending him a glare so cold it could have frozen Ifrit straight to the bones "Kid and I gotta go... but don´t worry.." his hold on the raven-haired tightened as he brought her writhing frame closer to him "... I´ll take good care of her."

Seifer´s chuckle went unoticed by the Commander, his whole attention focused on Rosie´s frightened face as the hoverfoil floated over Edea´s chamber and swiftly dissapeared inside the room´s walls.

Her name left Squall´s lips as he bolted to his feet and turned towards the elevator´s hallway. His path was cut off when Cerberus´s summoned a powerful fiery spell, aimed not at the Commander´s retreating frame, but to the corridor´s floor. The ground a few feet from the brunet´s position crumbled, leaving an extremely wide gap in between.

"**NOT SO FAST, HUMAN."** Growled the Hellhound, baring its sharp fangs **"WE´RE STILL NOT FINISHED."**

Squall´s eyes narrowed dangerously. He knew the Guardian wouldn´t let him go unless they defeated it... but Rosie was in danger and he had to do something!

ooo ooo

The humming of the flying device grew softer as Seifer brought it to a halt just in the right corner of the room. Rosie´s eyes widened and her squirming died down slightly, when she detected the regal-looking figure sitting on the hammock-like white chair. Her heart made a somersault when the Sorceress´s amber eyes leisurely turned to meet hers and a very small smile graced the older woman´s dark lips.

Seifer´s arm tightened on her frame as he lifted the raven-haired effortlesly despite her renewed struggles to get free. Her legs whipped backwards, hitting the Knight´s moving legs, but despite her best efforts, the blond kept walking as though her hits were nothing more than caresses.

"Calm down, sweetheart." said the Knight amusedly as they approached Edea´s resting place "It will be over soon."

ooo ooo

A shriek echoed through the chamber and a gigant liquid snake appeared before the Hellhound. Leviathan hissed menacingly as the water forming its long body seemed to condense and become the blue scales adorning the beautiful Water God´s body.

Cerberus replied with a howl of its own at the snake´s challenge and lunged for its neck, but Leviathan slithered away from the canine´s deathly jaws.

"Go help her, Squall!" yelled Irvine cocking Valiant.

"We´ll hold Cerberus here!" said Zell nodding.

The Commander nodded back, silently thanking his friends for the chance they gave him. His jaw clenched as he retreated a few steps ready to jump the 6 meter- distance between his side of the corridor and the one leading to the lift´s shaft.

The Hellhound brought its sharp tail forwards, the end catching Leviathan´s slender form. However, the snake´s body quickly shifted to liquid again, the other Guardian´s attack harmlessly passing through the Water God´s frame. The cowboy´s GF hissed again, its long, powerful tail hitting the hell dog´s flank and hurling it against the other side of the room.

"Shit! Squall watch out!"

Zell´s warning came too late. Squall´s eyes widened as Cerberus´s huge frame barely avoided hitting him by mere inches. However, the Hellhound had just hit the wall near the corridor leading to the elevator´s shaft, its huge frame making the supports collapse and block the only access to the third floor. The ground under the Commander´s feet trembled and collapsed, his body harshly meeting the first floor tiles. Squall rolled over immediately, barely avoiding being crushed by the debris still falling from the second floor´s now partially destroyed hallway.

"Hynedammit!" cursed the brunet between clenched teeth, his mind racing as he frantically looked around. His stormy gaze fell over the scattered vehicles and quickly raising to his feet, Squall straddled one of the heavy galbadian motorcycles.

Several blasts of magical energy and firearms could be heard, followed by the grunts from the injured SeeDs and the hiss of Leviathan. Seemed the Water God´s stunt had pissed the demonic dog off. Squall´s eyes narrowed as the heavy Hellhound´s frame landed in front of him, the once amber eyes, now shinned in a furious crimson tone, adding to the Guardian´s already frightening look.

"**PREPARE TO DIE, HUMAN"** growled Cerberus, hot breath leaving its slightly opened muzzles.

Squall´s grip on Revolver tightened as his frown deepened in concentration. He had to finish this battle right here and now! The characteristical tingling sound announcing the Ice Goddess´s appereance echoed through the room a second before the beautiful woman emerged from a frozen spot on the tiled ground. Her icy stare narrowed as she focused on her summoner´s opponent´s frame.

Suddenly a loud hiss could be heard as Leviathan´s slithering form joined the battle, it´s blue frame positioning beside Shiva´s lithe, cold form. Both Guardians exchanged silent words between them before Cerberus made the first move.

The Hellhound growled menacingly, its jaws opening and sending triplet bolts of light towards the other GFs, the magic deflected by a pristine wall the Ice Goddess summoned. Leviathan quickly enveloped the canine´s body in its coils. Cerberus´s jaws opened and before they could deliver their powerful bite, Leviathan´s body transformed once more, the huge serpent god completely forming a water bubble, containing the enraged hell dog inside. Shiva´s lithe frame floated graciously towards them, her slim fingers touching the liquid prision and quickly freezing it solid. Her beautiful face turned to look at her summoner, nodding as she noticed what he was about to do.

Squall´s left hand flickered, his whole junctioned magical strenght focusing in the spell leaving his fingers. The electrical pulse enveloped Cerberus´s prision, the Water God´s body serving as an amplifier of the powerful Thundaga. The Hellhound whinned in pain, its metallic scales doing nothing to protect it from the SeeD´s attack. The blast was so powerful, Leviathan´s frozen body exploded and Cerberus´s heavy-damaged and smoking frame collapsed to the tiled floor with a loud thud.

The Hell dog´s crimson eyes returned to their original amber as an exhausted whine left its throat. The golden gaze settled on Squall´s frame as he and the Ice Goddess exchanged silent words, Leviathan´s frame quickly joining in a puddle on the ground a few meters from them. Cerberus stood up on woobly paws, its movement making both, the SeeD and his beautiful Guardian turn to look at it – eyes equally cold - and adopt a fighting stance again. However, the canine GF, bowed its three heads in unison before its body dissapeared in a grey light and quickly enveloped the Commander´s frame.

Shiva sent Squall a slight smile before her lithe form gracefully left the floor. The SeeD ignited the motorcycle´s engine, his eyes narrowing as he watched his Guardian´s arms move, a thick ice layer forming an improvised road all the way towards Edea´s chamber.

ooo ooo

"So this is the one." muttered the Sorceress, a satisfied smile gracing her pale face as her amber eyes settled on the fightened raven-haired´s face. Clawed hands gripped Rosie´s jaw tightly as golden orbs turned to look at the figure looming over the kneeling girl. "You did well, my Knight."

Seifer bowed slightly "I live to fullfill your wishes, my Sorceress."

Edea´s smile widened slightly before her attention returned to the lightly squirming raven-haired. Rosie´s hands grabbed the older woman´s wrist, trying in vain to release her iron-like hold on her already aching jaw. "Now, my child." purred the Sorceress "You will help me to finish my quest."

_Never!! _Rosie´s eyes narrowed to show her defiance as her fingernails clawed at the incredibly strong arm of the older woman.

Edea´s beautiful face darkened with a cruel smirk that sent shivers down the girl´s spine. Was the Sorceress capable of reading her thoughts? Her answer came as the older woman´s voice lowered dangerously, the venomous hiss of her words making her heart clench in fear "We´ll see about that."

The raven-haired´s eyes closed tightly as a sharp pain coursed through her body. Her lips opened, but her cry went unheard as the Silence spell still muffled her voice. A complete whirlind of images flashed through her mind, the faces and places melting in a colorful blur and making her extremely dizzy. Rosie´s body felt weak, the sounds around her started to fade away as a female voice whispered in her ear and, though the words were incomprehensible, the raven-haired knew they held nothing but malice in them.

A set of golden eyes appeared for her mind´s eye as the voice became louder, the words spoken slowly starting to make sense...

Suddenly the whole experience stopped and she could feel Edea´s grip leaving her face.

"Get your hands off her, witch!"

_Squall!!_

Rosie´s eyes snapped open, her heart singing with joy as she whipped her head in the familiar voice´s source. The Commander was standing a few meters from them, frozen iron debris littered around him and the motorcycle he´d used to break through the wall laid a couple of feet from his frame. Revolver´s blade flashed in the dim-lighted room and the cold glare on his face promised death to both Sorceress and Knight.

Edea´s amber eyes narrowed in fury. Her left arm held her right as a curative spell formed on her palm, the Commander´s scorching magic managing to reach her. Both, the older woman and her blond protector had been engrossed with the controlling procedure to prepare themselves for the SeeD´s sudden appeareance, thus he´d the opportunity to injure the so-called Hyne´s descendant.

Rosie moved to her left, trying to use the confusion to escape her captors. However, Seifer´s hand quickly grabbed the raven-haired´s shirt, pulling her towards him before his other arm snaked around her throat. Her foot went down, hitting his boot with all her might in hopes to make him release her, but the ex-cadet didn´t even flinch. Her hands instinctively gripped the blond´s limb as his hold tightened to prevent her from moving.

A smile formed on the Knight´s lips "Not so fast, baby. The party has just started."

"Let go of her, Seifer."

Jade eyes locked with cold blue-grey as the blond lifted his face from the ebony strands to the Commander´s frame. Squall´s grip on Revolver tightened "Just leave her out of this." He nodded towards the Knight "If you want a fight, you´ll have it. Just you and me... you don´t need her."

Rosie´s eyes fluttered close, her nostrils widened and her taut grip on Seifer´s limb grew stronger as the blond´s arm fastened around her throat, painfully cutting her air income. Seifer chuckled "Oh, but you´re wrong about one thing, Squall..." his smirk widening at the look in his rival´s eyes. Was it worry he saw in the stormy depths?

The Commander´s mind raced, his stare fixed on Rosie´s paling face.

If he tried to attack the blond, he might hurt the girl he was trying to save... and if he didn´t, Seifer seemed more than ready to snap the raven-haired´s neck.

"... we _do_ need her." Satisfied that he had managed to make the brunet squirm, the Knight´s hold on Rosie´s throat easied and the panting girl fell to the floor with a thud, her limbs too weak to support her frame. The raven-haired curled into a foetal position as a coughing fit shook her tired body before falling into oblivion.

Squall quickly moved towards her, his path cut off as Seifer´s taller frame positioned between his rival and the green-cladded girl. "C´mon, Puberty boy." said the Knight as Hyperion left its sheath, a silver glow dancing along the weapon´s dark blade. "Show me what you´ve got." his smirk returned as the brunet´s eyes narrowed and his stance settled on the so-familiar battle position he adopted whenever they were about to make their gunblades do the talking.

The blond lunged towards the Commander "I´ll show you who-" his feet moved quickly and gracefully to the side, making the taller man spin as the powerful blade whirled alongside him "-is the better man!" Hyperion and Revolver collided as they´d done countless times during both men´s time at Garden. Sparks left both blades as neither man backed down, their strong arms tensed and their faces reflected on the other´s eyes, hatred and rage evident in both the jade and stormy orbs.

ooo ooo

Rinoa approached the elevator shaft, Joan and other 2 SeeDs running alongside her. Okay, the raven-haired knew she wasn´t a SeeD, but maybe she could be able to help the others out. Her normally relaxed face tensed as a frown graced her forehead. The blue semi-transparent doors were cracked and she could see a male form inside the shaft, his booted foot kicking the lift´s entrance with all his might until crystalline pieces flew everywhere.

"Nida! What do you think you´re doing?" asked Joan finally reaching the other SeeD´s position.

"Opening the damn door! What does it look like?" snapped the dark haired man angrily. His voice calmed as he noticed the hurt look on the girl´s face "Sorry... The lift is crushed in the lower level, so the doors are jammed."

"What happened?" asked Rinoa frowning as she and Joan helped Nida out of the shaft.

"Seifer" muttered the male SeeD "It´s all his doing."

"Almasy? But I thought he was-"

Joan´s words were cut off as a female voice called her name. The SeeD group turned to look at the approaching girls. Selphie, Quistis, Xu, Thelma and a couple more of SeeDs had returned, quickly entering through Garden´s main gate.

"Hey!" called Selphie hurrying up the stairs, worry evident in her face "Have you guys seen Rosie?"

Rinoa shook her head "Why?"

"What´s going on?" asked Xu frowning at the broken lift´s glass doors.

Nida sighed, knowing all the questions his comrades had asked could be answered by a simple statement.. "Seifer came and kidnapped Rosie."

ooo ooo

Zell cursed again under his breath.

His curative spell worked on Dante´s unconscious frame as the echoes of the heated battle upstairs reached his ears. He´d barely stirred from the forced nap Cerberus´s powerful attack had elicited on them. The Guardian´s light spell had caught all of them off guard and thus, the SeeDs had been knocked out. The martial artist didn´t know how many time had passed since then, his heart skipping a beat when he noticed neither the Hellhound, nor Leviathan or the Commander were anywhere to be found and a thick ice road connected the first floor with the Sorceress´s chamber.

The characteristical sound of the familiar gunblades colliding made Zell´s body tense with anxiety. Squall was already fighting the Sorceress and her Knight and the worst part was neither Irvine nor Dante were still in conditions of helping their leader...

ooo ooo

Seifer gave a step backwards, his left hand descending to rest over his abdomen, where a medium-sized gash had ripped his blue vest. Green orbs narrowed at the sight of crimson tinting his fingertips.

"First blood´s mine this time." Squall´s cold remark made the blond snort, his confident smirk returning in full force as his attention returned to his rival.

"This has hardly started, Puberty Boy." replied the Knight a second before raising Hyperion above his head and bringing it forcefully downwards. Sparks flew as the sharp dark blade collided with Revolver. The blond quickly cleaved forward, his rival´s gunblade parrying his intent once more.

Seifer spun quickly, his next attack aimed to the brunet´s legs, but Squall jumped back all the while preparing his weapon for the counter strike. The heavy silver gunblade crushed the ground where the Knight had been standing mere seconds before. The Commander brought Revolver to the side, parrying another blow from the blond and forcing the taller man back enough so he could regain his balance.

Both men charged again, gunblades colliding once before Squall ducked, avoiding by inches Hyperion´s razor-sharp blade, the SeeD spun around quickly, Revolver meeting his rival´s weapon just in front of his face, the Commander´s face reflected on the dark surface.

A fiery blast left Seifer´s hand, catching Squall squarely on the chest and hurling him back. The brunet rolled to his side as soon as his back met the floor, flesh avoiding the black weapon´s blade by inches. Both men faced each other, seizing their rival´s strenght and remaining stamina as they´d done countless times before during their cadet days at Garden. Stormy eyes narrowed when Seifer´s smirk returned.

"I haven´t had this much fun in weeks. C´mon, Squall don´t dissapoint me now."

Hyperion swung upwards as the blond moved towards his rival, sparks flew again as Revolver met the other gunblade. The Commander´s arms went down, both weapons colliding again for a second before the taller man used his heavier frame to unbalance the SeeD.

The brunet fell and rolled backwards, his gunlade parrying the subsecuent blow. Still crouching, Squall sent a kick to the blond´s shin, gaining some space to get back on his feet as Seifer hopped a step back. Revolver pursued the Knight´s frame cleaving forward, Hyperion barely able to contain the powerful thrusts a couple of times before another fiery blast left the blond´s hand, this time – however – Squall´s blade contained the Knight´s attack before the silver weapon swung to continue his attack.

ooo ooo

The clanging sound of metal on metal was the first she heard as drowsiness finally left her brain. Dark eyes opened to thin slits, the moving shadows soon taking shape of two familiar warrriors: the white Knight and the dark SeeD.

She wasn´t certain on how many time she´d been unconscious but, by the look of both gunbladers´ sweaty and slightly bloody frames, the battle had been on for a while now.

Rosie tried to move, her whole body aching and complaining at the request. Her throat throbbed painfully as the result of Seifer´s iron grip on her flesh. Suddenly, an icy, humorless laugh reached her ears, sending a jolt of fear down her spine and freezing her to the spot.

"Welcome back, my child" purred the Sorceress, her soft voice muffling the other sounds in the chamber and making the raven-haired girl wonder if she was the only one able to hear the older woman´s voice as neither Squall nor Seifer seemed to pay her words attention, both men still engaged in their furious match.

Rosie managed to sit up, her eyes narrowing as she settled them on the sitting dark-cladded figure in front of her. The raven-haired backed away at the cruel smile that crossed through the Sorceress´s beautiful features, but she didn´t get far as her back collided with a solid surface barely a couple of feet from her initial position. Brown eyes widened when she glanced back to see the object she´d come across in her escape attempt, finding nothing but thin air on her path. She frowned as the sounds from the heated battle were lost, a deep silence replacing them.

Before she could begin to wonder about the oddity in the lack of sound, her lithe form left the ground all of a sudden and the raven-haired finally noticed the transparent bubble-like cage Edea had summoned to keep her.

"We shall get going. Now that you´re awake, there´s no reason to pospone my plans." said the older woman rasing gracefully from her seat.

Rosie panicked.

Whatever the Sorceress had planned for her was definitely not going to be of her liking. The previous torturous moments before the Commander´s arrival had been proof enough of that.

The raven-haired hit her prision´s barely visible walls with all her might, her fists and feet aching at the effort, but the magical confine didn´t even flicker. The hollow sound her limbs made on the supernatural bubble, however, attracted Squall´s attention. She noticed the dark-cladded SeeD´s lips move, though through her restrain she could hear nothing else than the Sorceress´s voice.

She watched as Revolver parried a series of blows before her attention was suddenly drawn to the woman in front of her floating form. Edea´s slender frame shined with a purple and pink light, the silken white cloths attached to her back´s ornament flew gently in the supernatural wind her powers created. Rosie´s eyes widened in horror as the bubble keeping her captive and the woman manipulating her cage moved downwards, the Sorceress´s feet dissapearing through the now liquid-like floor.

Her fists slammed the transparent walls again, her dark eyes focused on the leather-cladded SeeD while she frantically called his name, though she doubted he could hear her even when she´d finally regained her voice.

ooo ooo

Squall´s frown deepened when he detected the Sorceress´s movement out the corner of his eyes. The hollow sound he´d heard seconds before started again with a more urgent tone to it and his stomach clenched at the thought of the helpless raven-haired trapped inside the moving bubble.

Still, he couldn´t glance back as Seifer charged again and he was forced to keep fighting his rival. Gunblades clashed again, the resulting impact vibrating along the brunet´s body while sparks left both weapon´s blades.

The Commander´s teeth clenched as he focused his whole energy in the next series of blows, his frown deepening as the blond managed to parry them with effort. The brunet saw his chance and just as Hyperion contained the last blow, his booted foot connected the Knight´s stomach, hurling the taller man a couple of meters back, the sheer force of the attack making him collide harshly with a nearby wall.

Squall quickly turned on his heels, dashing towards the place where the Sorceress and her captive were last standing, his heart skipped a beat as he noticed only the raven-haired´s hands were visible through the liquid-like floor. The Commander kneeled in one swift motion, his globed hand extended to grab Rosie´s when a sudden pain rocked his body a second before his frame was hurled far from his previous spot.

The brunet coughed as he sat up, blood leaving his mouth though he paid it and the scorched mark on his torso no heed. His fist slammed the floor near him as a curse left his lips when his eyes searched the place Rosie had been to find that the spot she´d dissapeared through was now as hard as the rest of the steel surface.

"Don´t worry about Kid." Seifer´s cynic remark made Squall´s blue-grey eyes narrow in hate and anger as his hand closed around Revolver´s hilt while he forced himself to stand up. His icy glare didn´t left the Knight´s taller frame, the faint red glow on the blond´s right hand, giving away his guilt behind the attack which prevented the Commander from reaching the raven-haired girl.

Seifer´s smirk returned "My Sorceress won´t harm her... well, much."

ooo ooo

Baby blue eyes widened at the descending dark-cladded figure. Edea´s regal-looking frame appeared through the Headmaster´s office floor, the once steel surface resembling more liquid silver as the Sorceress´s power bend the hard material to her will. Seconds later, a large bubble followed the older woman´s frame and the martial artist´s heart skipped a beat at the sight of the frightened-looking girl inside the magical sphere.

"Rosie!" Irvine´s voice beat Zell´s, gaining the Sorceress´s attention, who just smirked and kept her descent until her frame almost dissapeared through the nearest chamber´s roof.

The three SeeDs rushed towards the place where both Edea and her raven-haired captive had vanished, only to find the passage was already nonexistent.

"C´mon, we gotta help her!" growled Zell, hurriedly turning on his heels and vaulting himself over the railing, his heavy frame landing flawlessly on the first floor´s tiled surface. Irvine and Dante followed his lead, both SeeDs preparing their weapons before joining the brawler.

A magical barrier surrounded Dante´s frame, the platinum-haired man warning "We should be ready for anything."

The other 2 teens nodded in agreement and after erecting protective barriers of their own, the SeeDs quickly checked their junctions and magic before finally entering the auditorium.

The chamber was empty, only the static from various flat monitors arranged around the room interrupted the otherwise silent chamber. Dark and blue eyes scanned the room, Irvine´s fingers tightening around Valiant as Dante´s did on his own weapon, the pressure rising as the teenagers stepped even further into the auditorium.

Suddenly, one of the screens shattered, hundreds of crystal pieces flying in all directions as Edea´s frame gracefully flipped in midair and landed slowly on a podium surrounded by most of the monitors, an unnatural wind emanating from her lithe form and catching the edge of her silken "wings".

Behind her, the bubble-like containment flew a couple of meters from the ground, the figure held inside it squirmed in apparent pain, her dark eyes were closed shut, while a river of tears ran down her cheeks. Her knuckles were white as she held her head in a taut grip, trying in vain to shake off whatever torture the Sorceress had placed her mind in.

Valiant´s characteristical sound boomed through the walls as Irvine aimed at the bubble and pressed the trigger. The high-calliber bullet flew at lightspeed but was deflected effortlessly as the transparent prision suddenly flickered in a blue hue before returning to its natural state.

"I must say I´m impressed..." Edea´s cold voice filled the chamber, her amber eyes settling on the men below her as a cruel smile spread through her features "... you´ve been an impressive nuinsance." The unnatural wind around the Sorceress picked up, her "wings" flying even higher as a result "But no more."

Without warning, an electric spell left the older woman´s right hand, Zell barely able to avoid being hit by it.

"Your lives will end here, SeeDs." Edea´s icy, humorless chuckle was heard before more magic left her lithe frame, forcing the teenagers to take cover behind the furniture littering around the room.

"You´re not our Matron..." muttered Zell, his normally relaxed face darkening with a deep frown while his fists clenched in anger. The gentle and smiling face of the older woman he´d known years back flashed in his mind before being replaced by the pale, dark-tinted and cruel mask of the Sorceress before them. Resolution plastered on his face, the martial artist let out a battle cry as he dashed towards Edea "Whoever you are... you´re going DOWN!"

His kick was stopped by the Sorceress´s blue domme, a smirk crossing her features a second before she gestured with her right hand and the blond brawler was hurled several feet away.

ooo ooo

Seifer´s heavy frame slammed against the cold, steel floor. Rivers of crimson left his right shoulder and chest as Squall had finally managed to penetrate his rival´s defense and cause real damage.

The brunet´s panting frame turned to leave when a sudden, weak laugh made him froze to the spot.

"You can´t defeat her, Squall."

Turning his face enough to watch at the battered blond lying on the floor, the Commander´s eyes narrowed at the Knight´s statement. Jade eyes opened to thin slits and locked with stormy ones as Seifer coughed a little blood "Her power goes beyond imagination and now that she´s Kid with her..." his trademark smirk returned, a small trickle of blood running down the corner of his lips to his chin. "... well, let´s just say the odds are just against you on this."

Squall´s eyes narrowed dangerously, his tone icy enough to drop the room´s temperature a couple of degrees. "We´ll see about that."

Without another word, the Commander´s hurried steps quickly grew further as the Knight rested his head again on the floor, his highly damaged body throbbed painfully and the loss of blood made his eyelids feel heavier with each passing second until he finally slipped into unconsciousness.

ooo ooo

Irvine´s fingers worked as quickly as possible, the sharpshooter replacing the normal rounds of his beloved Valiant to the more powerful explosive bullets he had in stock inside the numerous pockets of his trademark brown trenchcoat.

The ground a couple of feet from him exploded and the cowboy flinched slightly before coming out of his hiding place, aiming at the magically protected Sorceress and pulling his weapon´s trigger. The room flashed brightly for a second before the thunderous blast boomed through the walls. However – much to the SeeDs dismay – the regal frame of the older woman remained untouched.

"Is this the best SeeD has to offer?" hissed Edea cruelly, a circle of fire forming from her slightly parted hands. The Sorceress released her attack, the entire room was enveloped in the fiery heat, Irvine´s grunt of pain clearly heard over the roaring of flames. A wicked smile spread through the woman´s face "Truly pathetic, I would say"

Suddenly, Edea´s demeanor changed, her eyes flickering to a purple shade briefly as she directed a pained look towards the injured cowboy. The unnatural wind surrounding her died down briefly before the gentle gaze was replaced by the cold amber eyes again. Zell frowned at the Sorceress enraged glare, especially since it didn´t seem to be directed to them.

The older woman panted a little as the wind picked up once more. "No more games..." hissed Edea while her right arm ascended and a large icicle formed in the palm of her hand "... you shall perish."

The sudden cry of the Sorceress caught the SeeDs´ offguard. The icy magic she´d conjured now enveloped her whole body thanks to the recently arrived Ice Goddess´s power. A second later, the characteristical sound of Revolver´s trigger reached the teenagers´ ears, Zell and Irvine turning to watch as their leader entered the chamber.

"You!" hissed Edea angrily, her amber eyes narrowed dangerously as they settled on the dark-cladded figure.

Squall didn´t reply, his stormy eyes stealing a quick glance at the figure encased into the magical bubble behind the Sorceress. His frown deepened as he noticed Rosie was no longer fighting her cage and now laid curled up in a foetal position, her own arms circling her body as if cold.

But the most strange thing was... she was _smiling._

Before the Commander could ponder deeper on the oddity of the situation, Edea broke free from her ice cage, the frozen diamond-like shards flying in all directions. Shiva frowned and quickly reshaped the pieces only to be quickly struck by a powerful Firaga, the ice she´d gathered was the only thing to prevent the Sorceress´s magic to reach the beautiful GF.

The older woman´s eyes narrowed while erecting her protective barrier. She was starting to grow tired, the SeeD´s attacks, joined with the female Guardian and the renewed attempts the other soul within the shell she was occuping made in order to finally get free was all too much. Not to mention the illusion world she had to mantain until the foolish girl finally gave in to her request.

She couldn´t keep like this...

... at least not alone.

ooo ooo

The mental "poking" awoke the Knight, jade eyes opening slowly before he could finally focus in his surroundings. The urge of his Sorceress´s call made the blond´s heart skip a beat and he quickly cast a healing spell on his large wound. Being so weak for the loss of blood, Seifer´s eyes narrowed in anger as his spell had done nothing more than partially close the split flesh.

Growling, the blond decided to use drastic and quicker measures to keep his wound from opening again and called forth a basic Fire spell.

A string of hissed obcenities left his lips between ragged breaths as the flame magic cauterized his injure. Shakily, Seifer grabbed a potion he´d inside his right trenchcoat´s pocket. The small vial was barely enough to regain his forces, but at least allowed him to stand up without stumbling and falling flat on his face.

Damn his pride!

He should have gotten more of the damn things!

But as always, assuming he´d kick Squall´s ass, the blond had underestimated the need for curative items. Always arguing they did nothing more than stealing space he´d rather use for stocking more gunblade ammo or magically-infused items.

Bending to take Hyperion from the spot it had landed, the Knight´s smirk returned.

"I´m coming, Squall..."

ooo ooo

Zell dodged the white lance that Edea launched towards him, the martial artist quickly calling forth a Fira in retaliation. The Sorceress´s magical protection fluttered blue before the blond´s spell was dissipated.

"Shit!" cursed the brawler between clenched teeth, his hissed voice quickly muffled by the rounds coming from Dante and Irvine´s weapons.

Both SeeDs kept firing, covering Squall´s advance as he moved as quickly as possible towards the Sorceress. Edea´s protective shield shinned in its characteristical blue hue as it parried each of her oponents´ bullets and slashes.

The Commander panted and retreated behind a panel to avoid Edea´s powerful fiery blast. Cursing under his breath, the brunet´s mind raced trying to find a viable attacking way to finally harm Hyne´s decendant. He´d tried to pull a variable of the technique they had used on the platform back in Deling City, but Edea was more than prepared for that move.

The result was Shiva´s voice could no longer be heard inside his head.

A sudden breeze at his right made Squall´s head turn, his eyes widened as he reflexly brought Revolver up and barely managed to parry the dark gunblade´s attack.

"Thought you could get rid of me that easily?" Seifer´s breath tickled the brunet´s face as both rival´s blades collided again.

Squall didn´t reply. Instead, the SeeD fell backwards while his boot connected with the Knight´s stomach, lifting the blond´s heavy frame and hurling him several feet away. An unearthy growl was heard followed by the heavy blasts characteristical of the Brothers´ attack. However, the Commander didn´t turn to see the battle his comrades kept against the Sorceress, his whole attention now drawn to the already standing gunblader.

"C´mon, Puberty Boy!" growled the blond, spitting a little blood before his grip on Hyperion grew stronger.

Squall complied, Revolver going low and then up, both blows parried with ease by the taller man. Seifer´s right leg caught the Commander´s knee, forcing the SeeD to a crouching position as his strong limbs guided his sharp blade downwards. The brunet held his ground with some effort, the broader frame of his rival aiding the Knight greatly in this position.

Squall sent a kick to the blond´s ankle, making the taller man stumble while he quickly regained his stance. A fire spell left Seifer´s hand, Revolver parrying the hot blast, whose sheer power managed to make the SeeD retreat a couple of steps.

Minotaur´s growl boomed through the walls, followed by the sound of his heavy maze colliding with the Sorceress´s magical barrier and the subsecuent casting of various attacking spells.

Finally, a femenine voice cried out in pain.

Apparently, the SeeDs and the Earth Spirits had managed to weaken Edea´s barrier enough to damage her.

Squall´s eyes left his rival´s frame and narrowed as he settled them on the Sorceress´s seemingly tired form. The older woman´s normally regal and proud-looking frame now slouched slightly and the Commander´s frown deepened when he noticed the flash of violet that took over her eyes briefly before the amber hue returned to her gaze.

Suddenly, there was a soft red light from behind Edea´s frame, the bubble encasing Rosie flashing in the pinkish hue and gaining a loud, maniacal chuckle from the Sorceress. The dark-cladded figure was enveloped by a similar brightness, both women pulsing in unison as though one of them was an echo of the other.

A second later, the SeeDs were completely blinded by a bright light before a strong energy hurled their bodies several feet away from where the Sorceress had once been standing.

ooo ooo

Quistis, Selphie, Xu, Thelma and Kevin ran through the galbadian facility. The female SeeDs had refused to stay back at Balamb, all of them knowing Squall´s team was most likely already facing Edea and with Rosie as a hostage, the situation was even worse than they had imagined it could be.

Quistis´s beautiful face sported a worried and frightened frown.

Whatever the Sorceress had been planing on doing with the raven-haired couldn´t be good at all... and for what the ex-SeeD had told them, she had a very good theory of what Edea had in stock for their friend.

ooo ooo

His eyes opened to thin slits, his vision still blurried from whatever Edea had done. The Commander couldn´t help but remember the spell the Sorceress had used back in Timber´s TV Station.

However this felt completely different.

Squall´s body felt heavy and despite his efforts, he couldn´t move a single muscle.

_What happened?_

A shriek reached his ears, his stormy eyes opening completely as he finally was able to focus on the sound´s source.

_Rosie!_

The raven-haired´s angered scream boomed through the walls as her whole being shinned with a red light. The remaining flat screens in the room were suddenly shattered to pieces as Rosie´s fury escalated and the hue around her frame intensified, eliciting a destructive wave.

_What the...?_

Squall tried to move again but his limbs refused to follow his command. His lips parted to call her name, but no voice came and the Commander´s frown deepened when he found himself unable to do anything else but watch the odd events as they unfold.

Time seemed to stop as the raven-haired slowly fell to her knees. Her hands clutched her head and her heavy breaths grew stonger as she apparently tried to calm her rage, the red aura enveloping her frame gradually vanishing.

After what seemed an eternity, her head turned slowly and her eyes fell on the white-cladded figure laying several meters away from her position. Squall´s heart skipped a beat as Rosie raised and made her way towards the fallen Seifer. Her ebony bangs covered her eyes as she bent to carefully lay the Knight on her lap. Her face lowered further almost making contact with the blond´s and the brunet´s frown deepened at the action.

A minute later, a blue hue left her hand, enveloping Seifer before he finally sat up. His jade eyes settled on the girl in front of him as a wide smirk formed on his lips. The Knight bowed his head slightly and stood up. Without a glance at either the still kneeling raven-haired or the scattered SeeDs, the blond walked out of the room.

Rosie´s stiff-looking frame relaxed, swaying briefly before falling to her side. The motion reminding the Commander of a puppet whose strings had suddenly been cut. Before any of the SeeDs could react, their attention was drawn by a feminine voice they knew very well.

"Zell, Irvine... Squall."

The brunet´s eyes settled on the raising frame of the older woman, who grabbed the edges of the podium in order to help her battered form to stand properly. The cold, amber hue her eyes held was now replaced by the warm violet tone the Commander had seen a during their battle against the Sorceress. And her voice´s tone was nothing compared to the evil, ruthless woman ruling Galbadia, resembling more the one he remembered as his Matron´s.

"I´ve been waiting and fearing this day for so long..." Edea´s pale face was lightened by a sweet, yet sad, smile. "Is it a joyous or an odious day I wonder?"

Hurried steps reached the SeeD´s ears along with gasps of surprise as the older woman´s sweet smile widened and settled on the recently arrived figures. Her expression suddenly grew worried, the feeling reflecting in her voice as she asked "Where is Ellone? Have I protected her?"

The Commander´s limbs felt lighter and he finally was able to sit up. However, before he could react to any of the events unfolding around him, Quistis´s voice reached his ears, her statement and the worry in her tone making his heart skip a beat.

"Squall! Hurry, it´s Rosie... she´s... "

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author´s note:_

_First of all... Sorry!! _

_I know most of you were almost certain I was either dead on had finally ditched the story given the huge amount of time it took me to finally complete this chapter. _

_But I´m finally back! :D_

_You know just how busy my schedule is and trust me, work has been such a b& lately... I had the chapter almost finished a couple of weeks ago, but either I didn´t have the time to type or inspiration was really lacking. This one was the main reason I actually took this long, the fight between Squall and Seifer and the final encounter with Edea were really difficult to write._

_As you may have noticed, the SeeDs were able to deliver a heavy blow to the Sorceress, but what really finished the fight was the fact Edea – or rather Ultimecia – finally accomplished whatever she wanted with Rosie (jejeje, I´m not telling... still :D) _

_Let´s see how it comes out..._

_I´m already working on next chapter, so don´t send me any explosive emails, kay? Promise I´ll try to find more time to work on the story so you don´t have to keep hanging on for weeks... and weeks and weeks._

_Again my most sincere apologies to all of you._

_Lots of hugs and kisses and even more apologies,_

_Celestial Rage._


	58. Chapter 58 Only pain is real

Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 58: Only pain is real**

By CelestialRage

Sunlight filtered through the opened yellow curtain, the chirping of birds coming from the nearby forest mixed with the humming sound of Balamb Garden's golden ring in what could have been a soothing lullaby after the heated events the same Centran plains had witnessed barely a day ago.

Squall's gaze settled on the blue sky and he couldn't help but think how warm and bright the day was, compared with the cold, sterile room he sat in, praying, waiting...

His stormy eyes closed briefly before returning to the only other person in the room.

Rosie's frame rested on the small infirmary bed, the thin white blanket covered her cold, limp body. Her natural light cinnamon-like tan was gone and although she appeared to be just peacefully sleeping, the SeeD Commander knew better.

She was slowly dying...

... and he was dying with her.

Guilt and pain were eating the Commander from the inside, only intensified by the notion he could have done something, _anything_ to prevent this from happening. Hell! He had tried to keep her from harm by ordering her to stay behind... but what he'd thought to be the best means to ensure her safety only resulted in the opportunity Seifer needed to get to Rosie.

And now... she was well beyond hope.

_It's all my fault._

"_Go to hell, Squall..."_

The last words she had spoken to him echoed in his mind and the brunet couldn't help but think that her wish had come true.

Squall ran a gloved hand through his unruly copper hair, despair gripping his heart as the previous day's events played endlessly in his mind.

ooo ooo

"Squall! Hurry, it's Rosie... she's... "

The Commander scrambled to his feet and rushed to Quistis's side, the blonde SeeD was already kneeling next to the fallen raven-haired girl. He could hear Selphie crying out her friend's name and Irvine trying to calm down the frightened brunette.

He held her...

... and his heart stopped.

Stormy eyes widened as her icy skin brushed his own and a sudden thought flashed through his mind.

No one alive could be _that _cold...

A surge of deep, raw pain pierced Squall's heart as he glanced at Rosie's limp body. Death wasn't supposed to be like this... there should be blood, some sign of pain, _anything_ but this deceivingly calm state. His eyes burned and he clenched his teeth, trying to conceal the urge of screaming her name.

The scan on her body stopped as a slight rise of her chest caught the Commander's attention, filling his entire being with hope again. Quickly directing a gloved hand to her reddened throat, the brunet's frown deepened briefly as he searched for her pulse. Sensing the weak sign of life, he gathered the unconscious girl in his arms and bolted out of the room without even sparing a last glance at their Matron or his still stunned comrades.

The only thought in his mind was getting Rosie in all urgency to Balamb Garden's infirmary.

Cheers greeted them as the teenagers emerged from the Galbadian facility. The cadets and their fellow SeeDs were in the middle of their victory celebration, all of them trying to approach their leader to congratulate him on a very successful operation. However, as soon as they noticed the limp form between Squall's arms, the teenagers stepped aside, allowing their leader to keep his hurried travel.

The way to Balamb Garden's medical facility had never seemed as long as it did to the Commander at that moment, his legs carried him as fast as they could but it just didn't seem fast enough to him. Rosie's head rested in the crook between his neck and left shoulder, her cold cheek touching his skin and reminding the SeeD leader the urgency of the situation.

"Doctor Kadowaki!!" Squall screamed at the top of his lungs as he kicked open the infirmary's door. Selphie, Irvine, Thelma and Zell following him close.

The older woman emerged from one of the rooms, holding a bloodied bandage she had been changing in her hand "Squall? What happe-?"

"It's Rosie, she... she's not ok." Thelma said as the older woman approached the brunet and examined the raven-haired girl in his arms.

"Oh, Hyne!" the doctor's eyes widened as her fingers touched Rosie's cold skin. "Quick! Get her on that mattress!"

The Commander placed the limp girl carefully on the nearest bed as Kadowaki called some of the nurses to assist her. When she entered the room, her eyes settled on the SeeD standing beside the raven-haired's resting place and noticed that although his usual frown was present, his eyes seemed less cold than usual as they gazed at the unconscious girl's face.

Placing a hand on the brunet's shoulder, the older woman calmly said "Squall, I'm sorry but you must wait outside. I can't work with you around here."

He nodded reluctantly and, sparing a last glance at Rosie, walked out of the room. He'd barely entered the corridor, when a light _click _announced him that the door had been locked to avoid further interruptions.

The adrenaline that had kept him running during the last minutes finally drained and forced Squall's tired and aching body to take a seat against the nearest wall, his eyes closing as he relaxed. The Commander barely noticed his comrades were already assembled there until Zell's characteristic footsteps approached him, the martial artist crouching slowly by his side.

"Here's your gunblade, man."

The blond's words had taken him completely by surprise as Squall had been expecting the usual comforting baloney. The Commander's eyes opened and his cold stare fixed on the winged lion carved on Revolver's hard surface. The martial artist held his gunblade out, treating the heavy and highly lethal weapon with extreme care and respect.

"You left it lying on the auditorium's floor." added Zell as Squall silently took the offered gunblade. The blond SeeD smiled weakly, his normally cheerful eyes saddened all of a sudden as he said "But you had more important things to worry about."

"Thanks, Zell." Squall said as he glanced briefly at the brawler in front of him, his voice sounding tired and absent.

The martial artist nodded "No prob." A silent moment followed as Zell seemed to argue with himself, before finally adding in a lower tone "She's gonna be alright, man. Rosie has never given up, she's a tough one..."

The Commander didn't reply, his eyes closed again so his comrade couldn't see the emotions they surely reflected.

At the brunet's reaction, the blond SeeD sighed and plopped himself next to Squall, deciding the best way to help his friend was to offer him silent support. He was sure Rosie would have agreed with him, the raven-haired girl wouldn't have let the SeeD leader alone with his troubled mind. Even if she didn't try to get the truth out of him, she was always near to lend a helping hand.

Selphie's sobs were muffled by Irvine's shoulder, the cowboy's right arm circling the brunette's tiny frame as he whispered comforting words to her ear. Thelma's large bangs covered her face, the normally relaxed SeeD fiddled nervously with her hands as she divided her attention between the infirmary's door and the blonde martial artist seated a meter away from her.

Twenty long minutes later, Kadowaki emerged from the room, looking tired and with a faint note of confusion on her face. All the SeeDs bolted to their feet, the tiny brunette gripping Irvine's hand firmly as she shielded herself for whatever news the doctor carried.

"H-How is she?" Selphie's slightly hoarse voice reflected the thoughts of everyone present.

The doctor sighed and shook her head slightly "I'm sorry, I... I've never seen anything like this before. In all my years..." she turned to look at Squall's face "Rosie is in some kind of coma... but the best way I could describe her condition is as... hibernation."

"Hibernation?" asked Thelma frowning "Isn't that-?"

Kadowaki nodded. "She presents almost every sign. Her heartbeats have been reduced to less than a quarter of her normal cadence as well as her breathing frequency. Her organic temperature has dropped drastically, which explains the coldness of her skin. In other words..." the doctor took a deep breath before running a hand through her short, dark hair

"... she´s barely alive ..."

ooo ooo

The Commander's train of thought was interrupted by the _whoosh_ the door made as it opened. He didn't need to look back to know who had just entered, the ex-instructor's steps and delicate perfume giving away her presence at once.

"Squall?" Quistis's concerned voice echoed through the small infirmary room, breaking the hours-long silence. He didn't reply, but turned his head slightly to regard her. The blonde woman's tone softened more "Matron is safely back at the orphanage... and she would like to have a word with all of us."

His head turned again to look at Rosie's face.

He didn't want to leave her side, the raven-haired girl's state was so weak he kept praying she could manage one more sustaining breath. However, and despite his fears, the logic part of his brain – the most dominant side of his persona – reminded him that Edea had provoked Rosie's present state and if there was a way to revert it, she would most likely know how.

Especially since the Commander wasn't sure Ultimecia had placed the same fate over Rosie as she would have done over Rinoa. The circumstances the raven-haired had described back in Trabia were completely different of what had happened once the actual battle unfolded.

And now, only Edea could answer the hundred questions filling his mind.

Squall was surprised at how this simple fact had slipped past him for almost an entire day. The truth was in the last hours his judgment had been kind of clouded, his emotions steering his recent decisions entirely.

For the second time in his life, the SeeD Commander had let his feelings take precedence over his logic... and all due to the same reason.

Squall sighed slightly as he spared one last look at Rosie's pale face before turning around and nodding towards Quistis, who offered a very small smile in return. A few seconds later, the infirmary door closed behind the brunet's tall frame as the SeeDs quietly left the small, sterile room.

ooo ooo

What had once been a magnificent structure made out of the dark stone from the Centran cliffs, now laid crumbled. The rich, green ivies that had adorned the classic-style columns as well as various walls, were now gone, leaving only the few scattered sprouts of grass to brighten the lugubrious place.

The SeeDs couldn't help the sudden nostalgic feeling enveloping their hearts as they glanced at their once familiar surroundings. Childhood memories flashed through their minds, some sad others joyful, but all of them rooted to the several rooms the orphanage held.

Zell was the first to break the deep silence enveloping the small group, all the teenagers completely lost within their memories. "Man, I'm nervous..."

Quistis nodded "Yeah, I feel kind of uncomfortable too."

Squall turned from his comrades' faces to the only door standing still in its place. He wasn't particularly thrilled to be finally able to speak to their long-lost Matron, but right now he needed answers. The brunet nodded towards their comrades before starting his way towards the orphanage's entrance.

The rusty door's hinges shrilly screech broke the silent atmosphere, the only other sound that reached the teenagers' ears was the roaring of the ocean as its waves crashed on the rocky cliff several meters below their current position. Their footsteps echoed through the room as they made their way through what once had been one of the dormitories.

Quistis's eyes fell on what she assumed were the remains of her bed, now reduced to pieces of rotten wood and cloth. The crumbled wall near it had once been covered with childish representations of their daily activities, as well as the portraits of their hopes and dreams. The blonde woman couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips as the memory of Selphie's drawing of Matron flashed through her mind. The brunette had been so proud at her achievement, though to tell the truth, the figure she'd portrayed resembled more a pig seated on a bench than the older woman resting at the kitchen's table.

A sudden noise at their right caught the SeeDs attention, their stances relaxing once more as Cad's plump frame entered the room. The older man seemed slightly younger than he'd just a couple of days ago and the teenagers could tell it was due to the huge weight that had just been lifted off of his shoulders.

The Headmaster smiled and nodded towards the youngsters. "Thank you for your hard work. The outcome of the battle has been even better than I had hoped it to be."

_Speak for yourself_. Thought Squall bitterly.

"Edea is back to her normal self... and she's been waiting to speak with you." said Cid motioning the teens towards the place where the older woman was.

The SeeDs followed the Headmaster outside the building to the beach they once lit fireworks in. The same salty breeze that caressed their faces caught the ending of the slender woman's cloth "wings", instantly reminding the teens of the cruel, ruthless woman they'd fought inside Galbadia Garden.

However, as the slender form turned around, Squall immediately noticed the small – but significant – difference in her eyes. The once cold, amber orbs now held a vibrant and gentle violet hue he'd seen during their last encounter with the Sorceress.

Edea's delicate face lightened even more as a small, sad and yet beautiful smile spread through her dark-tinted lips as her eyes betrayed the emotion she felt from watching the children she'd raised now turned into adults.

Selphie remained the smallest of the group and her bouncy nature was still visible as she kept changing her weight from one foot to the other. Behind her stood a tall, handsome auburn-haired man Edea had no trouble to recognize as Irvine. Edea's smile widened when she remembered he was always somewhere near the tiny brunette, and it seemed the old habit hadn't died at all.

At his right, stood a shorter, bulky young blond... Zell. He had remained faithful to the older woman's memories, though she had to admit the tattoo on his face was something she wasn't expecting. Next to him, stood the beautiful Quistis, who she had the opportunity to see better the day previous just after the battle had finished. The young blonde woman had helped her, escorting her back to their former home as quick and quietly as possible to avoid being detected by the other students and SeeDs at Garden.

And finally, her eyes settled on Squall. His rich, chocolate hair and blue-grey eyes gave him away at once. Though Edea had to admit, the innocent, shy boy she'd once known was now lost. In his stead stood a strong, cold and determined man that could freeze anyone to the bones with one of his dreadful glares.

As the smiling Sorceress continued her silent examination, the teenagers couldn't help but be truly surprised at how different the woman in front of them was from the one they'd fought mere hours ago. If someone had told them the ruthless new leader of Galbadia was able to smile so sweetly, the SeeDs wouldn't have believed it.

"My children..." whispered the older woman finally breaking the silence. Her soft voice was nothing compared to the icy, heartless tone that normally left her lips. "Forgive me... I raised you as my own and yet..."

"We know." replied Squall nodding when Edea's voice faltered and a few tears fell down her porcelain cheeks. "We fought you even knowing who you were."

"You're SeeDs." said the older woman smiling softly as though her reply was the answer to everything. Her violet eyes shifted from one familiar face to the other, pride evident in her eyes and voice as she continued "And you were magnificent." Though she wanted nothing more than close the distance between her and her beloved children, Edea couldn't bring herself to move an inch.

Her hands were stained with innocent people's blood and she would not taint her children with them.

The Sorceress sighed "However, I'm afraid it's not over yet... I've been possessed by-"

"Ultimecia" interrupted Squall nodding "We know about her. And her plan to compress time."

Though Edea was surprised at first, the query on how the SeeDs had known about the other Sorceress's existence died in her throat as realization suddenly hit "I see... that girl told you about her, didn't she?"

"You mean Rosie?" asked Selphie tilting her head to the side.

The Sorceress nodded. "During the time when Ultimecia possessed me, I was able to touch her soul." Edea visibly repressed a shudder at the memory and continued "Even though I had no control over my body, Ultimecia tortured me by allowing me to witness the wicked actions she performed using my shell. Therefore my knowledge on your friend."

"Do you know what's wrong with her?" asked Squall

The older woman's eyes softened further as she settled them on the young Commander, making him wonder the reason for Edea's reaction. Did she know about his pain?

"I think I do." she said softly.

"Then tell me! Please!" the brunet clasped a hand against his chest and took a step forwards, the emotion held in his words taking his comrades and Cid completely by surprise.

Edea's head bowed "Ultimecia thought your friend... Rosie, had similar or greater powers than Ellone. Ever since you infiltrated the Missile Base and she deciphered the password to stop the missiles she'd her eyes on her, waiting for the opportunity to finally be able to... posses her body in order to use her powers to achieve Time Compression."

The SeeDs gasped in surprise. They all knew the raven-haired held no such power, but if what their Matron just said was true... then...

Quistis frowned.

Seemed her theory had been more accurate than she had wanted it to be.

ooo ooo

Rinoa smiled to the now sleeping children before closing the book resting on her lap. Placing the item on the wide desk, the raven-haired stood up from her chair and quietly left the room.

After Nida told them of Rosie's capture, the SeeDs had divided and she stayed with the team responsible for helping the junior classmen. Fortunately, thanks to Carbuncle's protection, the kids were safe despite the terrible mess the broken elevator had provoked on the shaft.

The tiny Guardian had squealed happily as the SeeDs approached, vanishing between colorful sparks now that his task had been accomplished. Unfortunately, little Rachel had fainted due to her youth and inexperience at junctioning a GF and Joan had to draw Carbuncle from the little girl before she and the other children were taken to the infirmary so doctor Kadowaki could check them up.

Once making sure the kids were alright, the resident physician had given her little patients some candies and ordered them to rest. The stress of the battle had been too much for the children, who now were sleeping peacefully inside one of the second room classrooms, as some parts of the dorms area had sustained heavy damage.

Rinoa's dark eyes glanced around the scorched hallway. Her heart ached a little at the thought of Seifer being responsible for the destruction, pain and sadness the war was causing. She still couldn't believe the handsome, intelligent and confident guy she'd known the last summer in Timber was capable of doing this...

Her train of thought was interrupted by a familiar voice. "Hey, Rin!"

The raven-haired turned and smiled as she glanced at the approaching SeeD. "Hi, Joan! What's up?"

The other girl smiled "I came to offer support with those little demons, but I guess you managed on your own."

"They're not demons." replied Rinoa giggling while both women walked towards the recently repaired lift. "In fact, they're quite well-behaved."

Even though there weren't doors anymore, the characteristic _ping_ of the elevator sounded just as the girls stepped out of the device. Rinoa's dark eyes wandered through the main hall, watching as several students and SeeDs worked together to repair the damage done to their home. The lift was just the fist step, given the fact they needed to connect with the upper floors and carry some material, which would have been extremely difficult if only the emergency stairs were available.

"Well, let's see the brighter side..." said Joan smirking "... their Garden's damage is worst."

Forcing a smile, Rinoa nodded. Her previous thoughts about Seifer returned and she couldn't help but wonder why she was worried about the man who nearly got her and her new friends killed...

Well, they held a common past.

That was all, right?

Joan's words once more cut off her silent reverie. The dark-haired SeeD took the other girl's hand, smiling oblivious to her friend's inner turmoil "C'mon, let's see if Dr. K needs our help."

ooo ooo

"Rosie is a Sorceress now..."

"What?!" exclaimed Zell at the other blonde's words.

Quistis shook her head and folded her arms "Think about it... if Ultimecia wanted to use the supposed powers Rosie had, she'd have to transfer her conscience from Matron's body to her new host..."

"So, you're saying that Ultimecia was like, inside Rosie when she had that outburst in G Garden?" asked Irvine frowning.

Edea nodded. "Ultimecia's control over me was fading... she needed someone else to keep going and fulfill her task. And once she finally had your friend in her clutches, she wasted no time in transferring inside her body."

"... that's why she was so angry..." muttered Squall, narrowing his eyes at the memory of the enraged raven-haired and the destructive wave following her state "She found out Rosie had no such power and her efforts had been for naught."

"_She'll be just a pawn, a puppet to Ultimecia just as Edea has been..."_

Rosie's words echoed inside the Commander's head, her worried face playing for his mind's eye again. For a second, the image was so real, Squall could swear he would be able to touch her if he reached out for her.

"And what now?" asked Selphie biting her lower lip briefly "How can we help Rosie?"

Edea sighed "I don't know, my dear." The older woman shook her head slightly "But before Ultimecia knew about your friend, her primary goal was to manipulate Sorceress Adel."

"_Ultimecia wants to manipulate Sorceress Adel... with her power and Adel's cruelty, they'd be unstoppable."_

"Adel?" asked Quistis raising a pale, elegant eyebrow "Isn't she-?"

"The former ruler of Esthar." said Squall folding his arms. "Rosie told me she's been sealed away all these years in a prison in outer space."

"Really?" Zell's wide eyes showed his surprise.

"Why haven't you told us?" asked Irvine frowning.

Squall's expression darkened further "Because we thought we'd be able to stop Ultimecia in Galbadia Garden." Stormy eyes hid under heavy eyelids "This was not supposed to happen."

After a few seconds, he felt a gentle pressure on his arm "It wasn't your fault."

The Commander opened his eyes, focusing on Quistis's slightly smiling face. How can she say he wasn't the one to blame? He should have done _something_ to aid Rosie! She'd always been there for him whether he wanted it or not and now that she needed help, he was completely unable to save her...

"Whatever" muttered Squall, shrugging off the blonde's hand before turning around to leave.

"You won't solve things with a "whatever", Squall." The ex-instructor's tone sharpened, freezing the Commander in place.

Zell nodded "She's right, man." The martial artist took a step towards the brunet and said "Everyone makes mistakes, but either you keep blaming yourself for them, or do something about them."

Squall's head turned to look at the brawler, finding a very small smile on the shorter man's face. His last words were nothing else but what Rosie had told the blond back in the Chief's house in Timber after the TV Station's events. The Commander had been close to Zell's position when that happened and had been able to hear the whispered comforting words.

At that time, he'd thought the raven-haired to be gentle, but far too ingenuous.

Now, he knew she had been right.

The brunet nodded slowly, turning once again to face his comrades. "We'll go to Esthar." Shaking his head slightly, he continued "Rosie didn't say anything that could aid us from now on..."

_We were certain we'd be able to stop Ultimecia... and with the tension between us, I didn't ask further nor did she tell me more about the future events._

_It was my mistake._

_But I won't let that stop me._

"... all I know is that Ultimecia will most likely have Rosie unseal Adel."

Selphie's eyebrows knitted in confusion "How? She's in a coma!"

The Commander shook his head again "I don't know." Stormy eyes narrowed in determination "But maybe Ellone can help us."

_She said she was trying to change the past._

_Even if it sounds crazy, it's the only solution I can think of right now. If there's the slightest chance of it being possible, it's worth the try._

"Yo! Wait a minute man!" exclaimed Zell "If Ultimecia is inside Rosie, don't you think it would be a BIG mistake to get her anywhere near Sis?"

Quistis nodded "I agree with Zell." A small smile formed in her lips "Yeah, I know how weird that sounds, but still." Her demeanor turned serious once more "We could be aiding the witch to accomplish Time Compression and-"

"And if we don't, Rosie could stay like that forever." interrupted Irvine folding his arms. His blue eyes were partially hidden by the rim of his cowboyish hat "Either way, we're fucked up."

"I won't abandon her."

The SeeDs turned to look at the Commander, his frown was deeper and sheer determination could be seen in his blue-grey eyes. His voice was heard once more, the same stern tone they'd heard mere seconds before reassuring them of the brunet's intentions

"I'll take her to Esthar."

_Rosie said Ellone is already there. _

Squall was surprised when Cid's face lightened with a gentle smile. The older man nodded in his direction "I believe that's the best you can do."

"But you'll have to make haste." added Edea before shaking her head slightly "The struggle inside Galbadia Garden left Ultimecia very weak. However, she must be remedying that as we speak and your friend won't be safe after she does..." her voice vanished and a chill traveled down her spine at the thought of what the cruel woman could do to break the girl's spirit.

She'd experience the torture herself and she didn't wish it even on her worst enemy. Ultimecia's deranged mind delighted itself in coming up with the most gruesome punishments, her power coming not from physical pain, but mental manipulation. The illusions she created for the unfortunate souls in her grasp were able to drive them insane with pain in no time.

Edea knew she'd only survived the other Sorceress's mental assault due to her utility for the witch... otherwise, her sanity would be most likely forever gone by now.

"Well, if we're going to Esthar, I can guess we could see Doc Odine, don't you think?" said the sharpshooter, breaking the older woman's silent reverie.

"Doc Odine?" asked Squall frowning. The name rang a bell, but where he'd hear it eluded him at the moment.

Zell nodded. "Yeah, the man's a genious!" realization hit him and his toothy grin returned "Hey! He might be able to help us know what's wrong with Rosie!"

Irvine rolled his eyes, the motion going unnoticed by the martial artist thanks to the cowboy hat's rim. "That's why I mentioned the guy."

"Oh..." was the blond's intelligent reply before Edea stepped closer to them.

"Then, may I come with you?" when the SeeDs turned to watch her pale face, the older woman smiled warmly "He's a great researcher on Sorceress's powers. And even though mine are rather weak after Ultimecia's manipulation, I still remain one. She might take control of my body again at any minute and if that were to happen..." Edea shook her head slightly before continuing "I want to protect not only everyone else around me, but also myself... and for that I need to get rid of my powers."

"Odine might know a way." added Squall nodding in understanding. Their Matron's reason was quite a valid one, in fact, it would aid them greatly if there were no more Sorceresses which Ultimecia could manipulate.

The brunet nodded again. "Alright. Let's go all to Esthar."

ooo ooo

"Oh, man... ´Xenophobic Esthar´" said Nida shaking his head before his eyes settled on the Commander's face again. He couldn't believe the brunet was considering going to a nation that had been closed up from the entire world for nearly 17 years. "That terrain is not suited to fly the Garden. The mountains surrounding the area-"

"Doesn't matter." interrupted Squall in a stern tone, his stormy gaze never leaving the sea beyond Garden's bridge windows "Just set a course for Esthar."

"Aye, aye, sir." muttered the dark-haired SeeD as his superior turned around without further words.

"Squall?" Quistis voice made the Commander stop in place and turn his face enough to regard her "I really doubt Garden can fly over the mountain range surrounding that country."

His frown deepened. "Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Well, we might get there from the Horizon Bridge via FH." replied the blonde shrugging.

Squall nodded "Fine. Whatever gets us there as soon as possible." with that, the Commander resumed his way, closing the door behind him.

"What's with him?" huffed Nida frowning as he manipulated Garden's steer system with practiced ease. "He's grouchier than usual. And _that_ is saying a lot."

Quistis sighed.

It was difficult to see him like that. But there was nothing they could do to help Squall except offer silent support and pray that everything will turn out fine.

"Don't worry." replied the blonde woman smiling softly "Once we get to Esthar, our dear Commander's grouch levels will return to normal." patting the male SeeD's shoulder, Quistis turned and left Nida alone with his thoughts.

ooo ooo

Edea smiled as Selphie's chat continued.

The tiny brunette remained as lively as she remembered and right now, her energy was focused solely in entertaining the older woman with some of her childhood experiences in Trabia.

Irvine and Zell sat next to the girl, both men sharing their Matron's smile as the brunette continued her tale about her first outing in one of the septrional, frozen forests. Though the description of the icy temperatures was greatly shadowed by the warm Centran climate, especially since the sun showered the Headmaster's office.

The three SeeDs had immediately volunteered to escort the Sorceress inside Balamb Garden, task that had been relatively easy, given the fact the older woman had changed her clothing from the dark form-fitting dress all SeeDs inside the facility could recognize in a mile-range to a simple black and gray attire Cid had provided her.

Edea's smile vanished a little as her mind left Selphie's words and focused on her husband. Seeing him again after so long had been so exhilarating and stressing at the same time. She remembered the conflicting feelings swelling inside her as she stood at the beach, her violet eyes locking with his deep blue ones as her heart raced inside her chest and the loud beatings muffled every other sound. Cid had remained silent and still for what had seemed an eternity and she couldn't help the increasing worry his demeanor incited.

Would he ever be able to forgive her desertion?

Did he consider her wicked?

Did he love her anymore?

Did he hate her?

Her heart ached at the last thought. By surrendering her soul to the evil Ultimecia, she'd sealed her fate and she couldn't blame Cid for feeling betrayed by her actions. He was her Knight and husband, the one who was supposed to guard her, but Edea had not even given him the chance.

She'd simply run.

It was to protect him and their beloved kids, but the fact she didn't even fight for them would haunt her forever.

However, when a warm smile spread through his face, followed by tears and the feeling of clothed arms almost crushing her in a hug, Edea Kramer knew redemption was a step closer.

The road would be difficult.

But this time she'll fight.

And he would be by her side to give her strength.

ooo ooo

Squall slid through the barely opened door, closing it with care before he silently sat down in his previous spot. Stormy eyes narrowed in thought as he settled them on the still form resting in front of him.

Sunlight bathed Rosie's frame, hiding some of the paleness of her skin. The brunet leaned closer and taking off his right glove, pressed the palm of his hand against the raven-haired's forehead, his frown deepening when he was greeted by the same icy feeling lingering on the girl's skin since the previous day.

_You're so cold._

He sighed, brushing aside some of the dark bangs falling on her face. His heart skipped a beat when a slight, warm breath caressed his skin as his hand approached her nose. Bitterness swelled inside him again. Yeah, she was alive... but for how long?

"_We can't predict the future..."_

"_... that's why we have to make up for the time we're allowed to be together. That's why every second is a precious gift."_

Rosie's words back at the concert made the Commander's eyes close in pain. She'd taught him a lot about life and friendship in the brief months they had been together... he'd even started to open up to her... But what for?

To leave him barren again!

He could almost hear his inner voice say "I told you" and the Commander couldn't help the small, frustrated growl that left his lips. All his life, he'd considered that feelings were a weakness, he'd avoided getting close to anyone for the same reason he was sitting right here next to the still girl.

He was afraid of being left alone.

He was afraid to love, for the pain losing the loved one would cause.

... and yet, here he was.

Against his logic, against his beliefs, he'd unnoticedly allowed Rosie in. And now he was paying the price...

"Don't do_ this _to me..." his voice was barely above a whisper, his words intended for no one else but the raven-haired girl lying in front of him. "...just to leave me alone."

Squall winced at his own words.

What right did he have to ask her to stay with him? He had certainly done nothing to deserve her affection and everything to push her away. He had been so mad at her for the events in the northern SeeD facility, he'd never actually stopped to consider the fact that she had no real reason to tell all of them what she knew about the upcoming conflict. Rosie could have just left the events unfold naturally to avoid any conflicts with him.

"_I told you, I was scared!"_

"_Of your reaction!"_

But she had placed the SeeDs lives before her well-being. Squall was certain that had it not been for her knowledge to help him plan the battle against Galbadia Garden, the losses they had sustained would have been easily doubled or even tripled.

And what had he done to repay her for her aid?

He'd dumped her like yesterday's trash, regarding her presence only during the strategic meetings. And the last time he'd spoken to her... he'd called her stupid and childish...

"_Don't drop it away... you'll regret later."_

How right had Cid been!

His eyes opened and settled again on Rosie's face as a thousand pleas, excuses and apologizes filled his mind. Despair gripped his heart again and Squall's jaw clenched as he took her icy hand in his, interlocking their fingers and asking whatever entity resided in Heavens to allow him a single chance to say every single thought crossing his mind right now to the comatose girl.

_Even if you never forgive me._

Stormy orbs hid again under heavy eyelids as he focused on the sounds around him, detecting her faint, barely audible breathing. Pain filled him again as several images of her former lively persona danced in his mind. Her rich laughter and the way she closed her eyes whenever something amused her greatly, the way she blushed every time she was embarrassed, the nervous habit she'd of biting her lower lip and fiddling with her hands, her stunned face after he'd kissed her in the Training Center, her frightened and pained tears, the way her normally cheerful expression would darken whenever she was angry and the smile she always offered him everytime their eyes met and the unusual and vaguely familiar feeling her simple gesture incited inside his chest.

_You were so full of life... now you don't even make a sound._

His longest conversation with her played again for his mind's eye. The Commander's gaze settled again on the raven-haired's face as he remembered the warm night in FH's solar panel, the music playing in the background and mixing with the cheering of the multitude. And Rosie's smiling face as she sat next to him beneath a blanket of stars.

"_I promise if you ever call on me, I'll be there."_

Still holding her hand in his, Squall brought the limp, icy limb to his lips. "Rosie..." his warm breath caressed the back of her hand and he died a little more when he realized it was a futile attempt to bring some warmth to her frozen skin.

Still, he didn't change his position. "... c'mon, Rosie, wake up."

"_I'll always be there."_

His eyes felt suddenly heavy and he leaned a little to the side as his whispered voice grew even lower "Call my name, Rosie."

"_You're not alone, Squall."_

As he surrendered to the unnatural sleep, the Commander's heart skipped a beat when his grip on the girl's hand was returned weakly.

Though, whether it was real or just a product of his troubled mind, remained a mystery as darkness surrounded him and Squall knew no more.

_Author's note:_

_First of all, thanks to all the reviewers!! I want to thank especially (since this is the only means I have to do it) to Dagger and Mr. Sunshine's Best Friend. As for your complain of me not portraying Rosie's point of view from Ultimecia's possession, I gotta say my dear that it IS already written (you can ask my Beta :D), I didn't include it in the last chapter. I'm planning on doing that more or less the same way I did with Rosie's confession to Irvine, inserting small parts of the event during another chapter._

_Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter and that it wasn't too corny. You know I just have a tendency to do that... and I'm trying to change, really! But given the fact that I'm a hopeless romantic, I doubt I'd be able to make much difference._

_Well, remember all comments are always welcome. (And yeah, I'm STILL waiting for those candies, credit cards and indecent photos I asked in an earlier note :D)_

_Lots of hugs and kisses to all of you!_

_Celestial Rage_


	59. Chapter 59 Lights, camera dragon?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 59: Lights, camera... dragon?**

By CelestialRage

"Why the heck do I have to do this?" asked Laguna folding his arms, his tone and stance showing his annoyance.

The three ex-soldiers were now standing in a canyon between the mountain range dividing Trabia and the northern part of the Estharian continent. The trip in search for a way to get inside the secluded eastern territory was finally coming to an end after several months of wandering around the different routes without result.

Despite Laguna's wish to stay in Winhill for the rest of his lifetime, fate seemed to always have different plans for him.

The event leading to their current condition happened in the middle of the cold, ending of the year. The "Coming of Hyne" festivities – otherwise known as "Hyne's Eve" – were in all their glory and Laguna couldn't think of another time when he'd felt as happy as in this one.

Glancing around, the dark-haired man couldn't help the wide smile spreading through his face as he watched little Ellone standing on her tiptoes to place a bright blue sphere on the pine currently occupying one of the corners of the bar's upper floor. The small girl was quite focused on the task at hand, which she performed as her childish voice joined the typical season songs coming from the radio.

His green eyes were then attracted to the beautiful woman entering the room. Raine's long, brown hair was currently up in a bun, though several strands of brunette had escaped the clip keeping the rest at bay. His smile softened and his heart raced at the angelic sight.

A sudden flash coming from the window followed almost instantly by a powerful blast shattered the peaceful atmosphere, making Laguna jump from his sitting position at the couch. Ellone's grasp on the crystalline sphere was lost and the blue ornament crashed at her feet, the sound muffled by heavy gunfire coming from the once peaceful main street.

Raine immediately moved to shield the little girl, while Laguna's deep green eyes narrowed as he scanned the battle area from his vantage position at one of the second floor's windows.

The galbadian truck stationed in front of the large mansion the troopers used as their base exploded, the blast injuring many soldiers in the process. The dark-haired man's gaze drifted from one side of the street to the other, trying in vain to detect their attackers. Whoever they were, they were either using long-scope rifles to attack the galbadians or were simply invisible...

Green eyes widened when realization hit.

_Esthar soldiers!_

Laguna turned around, his eyes settling on the crouched Raine and the small girl concealed between her protective hold. His mind recalled what the brunette had told him the day he'd moved into Ellone's parent's house.

Last time the estharians were in Winhill it was to get the little girl.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door downstairs being shattered, followed by the numerous heavy footsteps. Ellone whimpered in fear while Raine quickly moved to hide with the little girl inside the closet. Laguna was instantly at the stairs, his only weapon being a long umbrella he'd grabbed from near the window.

Cursing under his breath, he wished he'd his heavy machinegun at hand right now... or at least the aid of his comrades, who were currently in their week-long trip back from the Galbadian capital.

His eyes narrowed as the stairs suddenly "shifted", giving away the presence of an estharian trooper. Laguna lashed forwards, hitting his target hard with the umbrella. The optic camouflage flickered briefly before revealing the flashy uniform of the estharian, whose small visor had been pierced by the dark-man's improvised weapon's tip. Without wasting time, the ex-soldier kicked the estharian's chest, sending him rolling down the stairs.

Following the now unconscious soldier, Laguna grabbed the odd shotgun-axe weapon the soldier dropped and aimed at the "shifting" space at his right, gaining a grunt out of the injured estharian. Bullets rained in his direction and the dark-haired man ran to take cover behind one of the now turned tables. A curse left his lips as his left hand clutched his ribs and he felt the warm, crimson liquid escaping his injury.

The sound of heavy footsteps going up the ladder made his heart skip a beat. Ignoring the pain, Laguna scrambled to his feet, quickly aiming towards the stairway and pressing the trigger, injuring a couple of estharians whose bodies collapsed ungracefully and rolled down the wooden ladder.

A blast was heard upstairs, followed by the screaming of both, Ellone and Raine. Laguna quickly vaulted himself over the fallen furniture blocking the shortest path to the second floor but was cut off by the transparent and rock-strong body of another soldier.

The long-haired man turned, flailing his right leg and catching the estharian squarely in the jaw, knocking him aside. A flash out the corner of his eyes made Laguna turn and instinctively bring up the axe-shotgun he wielded to parry the blow. Ducking quickly, the dark-haired man sent a kick to the estharian's shin, making him stumble before several bullets pierced his armored body.

Laguna scrambled to his feet, cursing under his breath at the sharp pain his still injured side caused him at the rough movement. Scanning the room and detecting no other intruders, the long-haired man rushed upstairs.

When he reached the second floor, his heart stopped.

Furniture laid scattered everywhere along with sharp shards from the broken windows and Ellone's crystal decorations. His green eyes searched frantically among the debris while calling Raine and Ellone's names with a voice full of anguish and concern.

Sudden movement, made him turn to the right, where Raine was emerging from beneath the turned table. Laguna was quickly at her side, helping the young woman from under the debris. Quickly scanning her body in search of serious injures, the dark-haired man was relieved to see the brunette had only suffered minor scratches.

Raine's shaky hands gripped his shirt "They took her! Laguna, they have Ellone!! Two guys entered through the window and-"

The galbadian pulled the shaken woman into a tight embrace, hushing her. His green eyes settled on the broken window and he frowned. If those estharians pulled that stunt, they surely were cyborgs like the ones he'd fought almost a year and a half ago. Worry and hot anger ran down his veins. He wouldn't be able to intercept the humanoid machines, not in his condition. They were quite fast and judging by the time he'd spent battling the soldiers downstairs, Ellone and her captors were most likely already a mile away from there.

Helping the still shocked woman to her feet, Laguna grabbed her chin to make her look at his reassuring smile "Stay here, ok?" turning around, the long-haired man grabbed the shotgun he'd been carrying and quickly made his way to the main door. He had to retrieve his weapons and magic stones if he wanted to stand a chance against the heavy-armored cyborgs...

"Laguna!" Raine called from the staircase, making him freeze in place and turn to face her. Tears ran down her cheeks and the frightened look in her deep blue eyes made his heart clench in a tight fist.

Forcing a small smile for the woman's sake, the galbadian shook his head slightly "Don't worry. I'll bring her back home, I promise."

A hand wavered in front of his face and the brief, angst flashback ended, making Laguna's attention return to the dark-skinned man in front of him.

"Hey, you ok?" asked Kiros, glancing his comrade with concern-filled eyes.

Laguna nodded. "Sorry, just drifted for a minute." forcing down the pain invading his chest at the brief memory, he shook his head "So, what were you saying?"

Sighing, Kiros decided to drop the subject, knowing that if the long-haired man hadn't adressed the issue already, he was most likely not going to do it. "I was saying that it's our opportunity to gain some easy money to continue our journey."

"I know. But really guys... I'm not cut out to be an actor." said Laguna, shaking his head.

So far the three of them had afforded their months-long journey thanks to the paychecks Timber Maniacs sent the dark-haired man for his travelling articles as well as performing some temporary works in the different cities they'd visited.

He still couldn't believe the director had thought him "perfect" for the principal male role of the short movie he was doing. They'd come across the guy near the coast of Trabia a couple of weeks ago and since then had been travelling with the film team, lending a helping hand with the equipment whenever it was required and getting a small sum in return.

The dark-haired man had frozen in utter shock when the director came to him to offer the lead male role after the original actor had gotten really sick. It was a low-budget production that would most likely never see the theaters, but still he was getting a good amount of gil for his performance.

Kiros chuckled "C'mon, Laguna. We know you're thrilled with the prospect."

The long-haired man sighed "Yeah, I kind of like the idea... but I'm an amateur, man! The heck am I supposed to do?"

Ward folded his arms, sending Laguna a murderous glare.

The long-haired man raised his hands in defeat "Okay, okay... I'll do it." frowning, he added "Just for the money, though." Before turning towards the improvised changing rooms.

As his comrade disappeared behind the curtain, Kiros and Ward exchanged a knowing look and grinned.

"What the hell?!" Laguna's scream reached their ears a second before the dark-haired man reappeared holding a metallic suit in his hands. "What kind of costume is THIS?!"

Kiros smile widened as he approached his comrade, shaking his index finger in a scolding manner "Ah, ah, ah. No complaining." Stopping in front of the long-haired man, he added "You agreed to do it for the money, remember?"

Laguna cringed visibly as his friend used his own words against him. "Y-Yeah, but..."

His pouting was cut off when Kiros grabbed his shoulders and turned him around before pushing him inside the curtains again "But nothing. Get changed already or you'll be late for your first day."

Sighing, the dark-haired man glanced once more at the fake suit of armor. "I'm going to freeze inside this damn thing!"

ooo ooo

Laguna's teeth gritted as he tried to shake away the violent tremors assaulting his body. He was completely chilled, no wonder the other guy had fallen sick after only a week of filming. And to think he still had a couple of weeks of this nonsense ahead!

"Hey, look at you!" the raucous voice of the director made the long-haired man turn around in order to regard him. His short and slightly shabby frame contrasted painfully with the beautiful woman attired in colorful robes that stood behind him. The director gave Laguna a look over before grinning widely and nodding "Not bad at all." He turned to look at the brunette standing a couple of feet away from him and said "This is your co-star, Elaine. She'll play the Sorceress's role."

The woman bowed gracefully "Nice to meet you."

Laguna nodded in return.

Under other circumstances, he would have returned the gesture and most likely started a conversation... But right now, he was too cold to even utter a word.

"Okay, it's all set then." said the director grinning "Let's go to the-"

"Mister Jackson!" called a technician, running up the small incline to meet with the director. Huffing a little, the man shook his head "Sir, we have a problem... the guys operating the dragon have fallen sick too."

"What?!" exclaimed the director anxiously "Oh, Hyne! We're in a fit now." scanning the nearby area, the man spotted his new lead's friends and a sudden idea flashed in his mind "Hey, fellas!"

Kiros and Ward turned to look at the approaching director. The man smiled and said "Would you like to make extra cash?" The men exchanged a quick glance before nodding. "All you gotta do is operate the animatronic dragon we've designed for the movie. Don't worry, the controls are quite easy to handle."

Kiros shrugged "Sure, why not."

Jackson's smile widened "Excellent! Let's go to the set."

ooo ooo

Rinoa made her way through the slightly crowded Infirmary. Glancing around, she smiled at the sight of the sleeping older men occupying the west wing's beds, the different kinds of snores melting in an odd, slumber symphony.

The FH technicians that had been kidnapped by the galbadians back in their hometown had been found by a SeeD squad on one of the lower levels of the crimson facility. The poor men were way too thin and held numerous bruises, proof that their time with the galbadians had been a difficult one.

Fortunately, doctor Kadowaki's inspection had shown that none of them held life-threatening injures. All their condition required was rest, some bandages and curative potions, as well as a good and very needed, balanced meal.

The raven-haired giggled, wondering how in Hyne's name the techs could remain asleep with the noise of their snores. Half the students that had been sharing the Infirmary's space with them had already moved to their dorms or some of the improvised shelters in the second floor to escape the loud cacophony and finally manage some sleep.

Her slow steps guided her to the back of the facility where the only patient who hadn't complained in the least rested. Pausing just outside the room, Rinoa readjusted the tray she carried, balancing it on one arm while her right hand moved to slide open the door.

"Squall, I brought you-" her joyful words were caught in her throat and she lost all her capacity to move as she finally settled her dark eyes on the figures inside the room.

Her smile vanished and a small ache enveloped her heart.

Half of Squall's frame laid on top of the mattress, his head resting beside Rosie's on the fluffy pillow, mixing his copper strands with her darker ones. His right hand's fingers were interlocked with hers as he slept peacefully alongside the comatose girl.

Rinoa sighed, deviating her gaze from the slumbering Commander to the food tray she carried. Though she'd never held ill will towards the other raven-haired girl, Rinoa'd hoped that with Rosie now further out of the picture than she had been after their heated discussion in Trabia, she could approach the stoic brunet once more.

However, in the light of Rosie's success at keeping Squall at her side even when she was unconscious, Rinoa had no other choice than to admit her defeat.

Oddly enough, the ache in her chest at the sight before her was definitely far from the mind-numbing pain she was expecting. Frowning a little, she wondered about her lack of jealousy and anger towards the other raven-haired girl.

She liked Squall, after all.

The Commander was quite handsome, intelligent and skilled, attributes she'd noticed since their first meeting back at the SeeD Inauguration party. He'd drawn her attention immediately and as their travels continued, she'd grown fond of him. But now that she paused to really analyze her feelings, Rinoa had to admit her attraction to Squall was more physical than anything else. He had a lot of issues for what she can tell of the little time they'd spent together. He was cold, grouchy, ruthless and killed without a second thought – practice she despised.

She liked and respected Squall, yes... but, as she placed the tray on the bedside table, Rinoa realized she didn't know him enough to develop deeper feelings, ones just brought by the acceptance of the other's totality: body, mind and soul.

Love.

Maybe if she'd been near him longer, she would have fallen for him. But as it was, Rinoa realized she didn't love Squall... at least not in a romantic sense.

But Rosie did.

The raven-haired cadet had said so to her back in her dorm.

And now Rinoa had to admit that Squall most likely reciprocated the feeling, even though he might not even know it yet. Otherwise, she was certain the Commander would never hold anyone like he was doing with the unconscious girl.

Sighing a little again, Rinoa bent down and placed a small, chaste kiss on the brunet's cheek. Surprised by the fact Squall hadn't woke up at her touch, the raven-haired leaned to speak to his ear.

"You better take care of her." she warned the sleeping brunet. "Rosie's the only one who can actually put up with your moods."

Smiling at the Commander's vague frown, Rinoa turned around and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her without a glance back.

ooo ooo

Kiros glanced at the huge red form in front of him.

Smiling, the dark-skinned man had to admit the technicians had done a pretty good job at assembling the realistic animatronic puppet. Especially, given the small budget they had available for that purpose.

The huge doll was resting on the cold, rocky ground, its shiny crimson scales contrasted beautifully with the frozen cliff. The galbadian was completely entranced by the craftsmanship of the techs as the puppet recreated the most powerful class of dragons flawlessly. The wide body, long neck, fiery face, pointy black horns and slender but strong-looking wings... if he didn't know better, Kiros would have sworn he was mere feet away from a real Ruby Dragon.

"Seems the thing's on." muttered the dark-skinned man glancing at the puppet's back "Hyne, they even added breathing motions. This thing sure is amazing."

Ward nodded and moved forwards to examine the dragon's front, while Kiros searched around for the controls. The bulky man frowned as his hands came in contact with the cold scales, detecting a growing warmth just beneath the hard surface. The huge form moved and Ward's eyes widened when the dragon's head turned to look directly at him, freezing him in place with its intense yellowish eyes.

"Glad you found the controls." said Kiros approaching him with a wide smile on his face. The gesture died instantly when he noticed the scared look on his friend's face and the smoke that left the dragon's nose as it huffed.

"Oh, shit!"

ooo ooo

A loud roar boomed through the canyon, startling the crew.

The director chuckled as he approached Laguna "Seems those friends of yours are ready to make their apparition, uh?"

The dark-haired man nodded, smiling. Kiros and Ward surely were enjoying this!

"Okay people, here we go... Scene 12: Death of the Sorceress." Taking a seat in his designated chair, Jackson took the megaphone and said "ACTION!"

Ellaine sighed in an overly dramatic fashion, making Laguna cringe at her terrible acting skills. Placing the back of her hand on her forehead, the brunette's expression turned to one of incredibly bad performed distress "Oh, my Knight! Save me from the wicked dragon!"

The dark-haired man recognized the phrase as the cue to start his own performance. Glancing at the cameras, Laguna felt the familiar tingling sensation that preceded the cramps that assaulted his right leg whenever he was nervous.

"I-I'll save you from the dragon!" blurted the Knight ungraciously while grabbing the hilt of the weapon he was carrying. However, when Laguna tried to unsheathe the blade, it didn't budge. Cursing under his breath, the long-haired man tried twice before the stubborn weapon finally complied and the Knight almost lost his footing at his own momentum.

Blushing in utter embarrassment and making an incredible effort to keep the cramps at bay, Laguna raised the rapier-like gunblade "The wicked beast will taste my blade!"

A loud rumble was heard and the Knight turned around as instructed, expecting to see Kiros and Ward inside a cheap-looking costume. His jaw dropped in awe when he spotted the huge and incredibly realistic puppet that moved fluidly towards them.

_For such a shitty movie, they sure got a very cool dragon._

The huge beast came to a halt in front of Laguna, bending its long neck so it could stare directly into the man's eyes. Frightened screams and sounds of retreating footsteps made the Knight's attention shift to his surroundings, finding that the entire crew had scattered.

"Wow! You guys are doing a great job... you even managed to scare them!" said the long-haired man smiling and placing a hand on his hip. In reply, the huge reptile huffed, blowing a small cloud of smoke in the Knight's face. Laguna sneered at the putrid odor and covered his nose "Geez, man! What'cha been eating lately?"

The dragon let out a deep, loud roar that froze the man's heart. It had sounded _way_ too real to his liking...

Gulping, Laguna asked tentatively "Kiros? Ward?"

With thunder-fast reflexes, the dark-haired man dodged the following snapping jaws. He bolted to his feet and decided to follow the crew's example, running as fast as his legs could carry him down the zig-zagging road. The Ruby Dragon roared again before giving its prey chase.

"Shit, shit, shiiiitttt!!" cursed Laguna glancing over his shoulder at the approaching monster. For such a huge body, the damn dragon was pretty fast. The ex-soldier's heart brightened with hope as he detected a narrow passage between two rocky mounds. The dark-haired man sprinted, trying to get out of the dragon's vicinity as fast as possible.

If he managed to get to the passage, he'd be safe.

The Ruby Dragon growled as its prey dashed for the narrow crook's security. It's powerful wings beat in unison, lifting its heavy frame from the ground and, using the slight air current inside the canyon, the monster managed to land in front of the now terrorized man just before he covered the last two meters to safety.

"Oh, damn!" yelled Laguna backing off as the dragon lashed forwards. Without even thinking about it, the dark-haired man swung the gunblade still held in his hand, the sharp razor-like blade cutting the monster's nose and eliciting a deep, painful growl from the beast.

Laguna glanced at the weapon in his grasp "What the? Is this thing real too?"

The dragon lashed again, the ex-soldier barely managing to duck under the massive head before bringing upwards the gunblade. However, the gigantic reptile deftly moved his head to the side, avoiding the blow before opening its massive jaws and taking the offending weapon from the man's grasp, hurling it away several meters in one swift motion.

Gulping Laguna watched as his only hope for survival landed with a clanging sound between some rocks. The ex-soldier closed his eyes as the beast's jaws opened again, revealing two huge lines of sharp fangs and close enough the dark-haired man could feel the warm, nauseating breath all over his face.

A loud _whoosh_ followed by the characteristic sound of metal entering flesh and the subsequent painful roar from the dragon, made Laguna's eyes snap open. The huge reptile was trashing about, trying in vain to pull out a heavy-looking harpoon from its injured flesh.

"Laguna!" the ex-soldier looked upwards, deftly catching his machine-gun and grenade's belt. Kiros and Ward landed flawlessly a second later, carrying their respective travelling gears, along with Laguna's. "You ok?" asked the dark-skinned man turning his head enough to look at the still shaken Knight.

"Yeah, I'm cool. Thanks, guys." replied the long-haired man smiling. Cocking the heavy machine-gun, Laguna nodded "Let's get rid of this damn thing."

His friends nodded back.

Ward cast an ice spell, efficiently trapping the dragon's legs in place. Kiros dashed forwards, his twin katals slicing the sensitive underside flesh as Laguna's high-caliber bullets showered over the now gravely injured monster.

The Ruby Dragon's head retreated as its chest broadened. Dark smoke left the corner of its closed jaws a second before an intense wide flame erupted from the reptile's interior. The three galbadians quickly cast their most powerful ice-elemental magic, forming a barrier that barely managed to contain the monster's attack but holding it enough so the ex-soldiers could retaliate.

Laguna produced a grenade before nodding to his friends. Kiros and Ward caught on, both galbadians casting a Blizzard over the device to protect it from the dragon's flames. A second later, Laguna's frame left the security of their improvised barrier and tossed the now frozen weapon with all his might towards the still opened jaws of the monster.

The men bolted to the left as the ice around the grenade melted quickly due to the dragon's fiery breath. As Ward's heavy frame followed Kiros and Laguna behind the safety of a rocky mound, an incredibly loud explosion rocked the place, the blast booming all through the canyon's walls while charred, bloodied flesh flew in all directions between long flames.

"Phew!" sighed Laguna smiling before looking at his comrades "That sure was a close one, uh?"

Kiros frowned as he removed a small but nauseating piece of burnt flesh from his hair. "Augh... Disgusting!" his comrades chuckled "Yeah, very funny... let's see how you like a piece of that thing up your - "

A tremendous roar jolted the three men from the peaceful moment.

"Damn! There's more of them!" yelled Laguna bolting to his feet. "We better get out of here!"

Kiros nodded "You don't have to tell me twice."

The three galbadians ran through the narrow passageway ahead of them soon coming to a slightly steep rock formation. Carefully, but as quickly as their feet allowed, the ex-soldiers managed to climb the obstacle and were greeted by the sight of a vast, evergreen valley.

"Hey! What is that?" asked Laguna signaling a shiny object in the distance.

Ward covered his eyes from the bright sun, narrowing his eyes to try and make more of the strange seemingly floating monolith.

"I don't know." replied Kiros frowning after examining the structure. "But by the look of it, the thing is huge." Gazing at the valley beyond their current position, the dark-skinned man realized they were no longer on the colder side of the cliff... which meant... "We're looking at Esthar."

Laguna nodded, taking a deep breath while his eyes scanned the valley and cliffs beyond. The evening's sun warmed his chilled body, making the fake armor suit he still wore shine in the gentle light in a way that mimicked the hope the sight ignited in his soul.

His world-wide travel to find a way inside the secluded country had finally come to an end. He was a step closer to saving the little girl he'd grown to love like a daughter and he'll be damned if he didn't return her home to the awaiting arms of Raine.

"Well?" asked the dark-haired man looking at his comrades with a smile on his face "What are we waiting for? Let's go, guys!"

Kiros and Ward nodded, following the already marching Laguna down the rocky hill and towards the last leg of their long journey.

ooo ooo

The vision faded, leaving the Commander surrounded by deep darkness. He sighed inwardly, figuring he'd finally be able to return to his own life, a welcomed notion after what he'd just witnessed.

He'd live happily ever after if he didn't experience any more of Laguna's "adventures", most of which were just a plain display of the man's moronic and trouble-prone nature.

When he wasn't pulled to the physical world like normally happened after Ellone's influence on him ended, Squall felt a pang of anxiety. Further emphasized by the fact he was entirely alone, without a physical form and floating in a deep, seemingly endless void.

"_I can't disconnect..."_

His heart skipped a beat at the soft, reverberating voice. "Ellone?" he asked tentatively.

"_Squall..."_

"Where are we? What is going on?"

"_I'm sorry, Squall. You're still asleep, but I can't break the connection between us and I don't know why... Oh! I know, I must be asleep too. That's why I can't control it."_

Frowning to the void, the Commander asked "What is this connect thing?"

"_It's what I call when I use my special power. I'm really sorry, Squall but I need to use your spirit a little longer."_

Before he could formulate the thousand questions in his mind, the brunet felt the same odd tiredness that preceded his Sis influence and in a matter of seconds, his conscience was transported once more back in time.

ooo ooo

Thick sheets of rain poured down from the dark grey clouds hiding the sun. Laguna sighed heavily, glancing once more at the cozy interior of the stone house and at the laughing children playing around the place.

During his travels, he´d heard of an orphanage standing in the western coast of the Centra continent that housed several children from various countries. The so-called "Sorceress War" was on its peak, so massive causalities were not unheard.

Laguna had hoped that somehow Ellone might have ended in the place, be it due to the fact Adel found her not useful for her purposes or that someone else had come across the kidnappers and saved the little girl. So when the three ex-soldiers managed to get to Centra, Laguna had convinced his friends to let him go take a look while they stayed in Kiros's hometown looking for info on the most viable route inside Esthar and purchasing some items they would most likely need.

However, his latest excursion had proved to be just a waste of precious time.

"So she ain´t here either..." muttered the long-haired man sadly remembering the cute, joyful face that always greeted him with a smile and a strong hug.

"May I ask what happened to this girl, Ellone?" the soft voice made his attention shift to the beautiful dark-haired woman standing in front of him.

"She was kidnapped from our home in Winhill by estharian soldiers. I've been traveling to find a way inside Esthar... but..." sighing tiredly, Laguna ran a hand through his long hair.

"Seems Adel seeks a successor." said woman frowning.

Laguna nodded "That's why I have to save her, Ms. Kramer!"

Edea smiled. "Is she your daughter?"

The dark-haired man shook his head "Not biologically, but it doesn't matter. I couldn't love her more even if she was my own flesh and blood." Laguna smiled fondly at the images of the little girl flashing in his mind "She's so cute... Hell! I'd give anything just to hear her voice again..."

ooo ooo

As the scene faded into the same empty void of before, Squall couldn't help but feel some empathy towards the ex-soldier for the first time since the strange dreams started. Like Laguna, the Commander wanted to hear the voice of someone he deeply cared for.

He wanted to hear Rosie again.

Squall didn't care whether it was the past or not, all he knew was he wanted to see the raven-haired as the lively person she'd once been. Not the half-dead form bound to the sterile infirmary room...

He wanted to warn her, to find a way to save her from this.

"_You can't change the past." _Ellone's voice reached his ears again _"I learned that the hard way."_ Her tone saddened and Squall couldn't help the little ache in his heart at his Sis's distraught voice _"When I was kidnapped, Uncle Laguna went to rescue me and because he did, he wasn't able to be by Raine's side when she died."_

"Raine is dead?"

"_Yes. She died after giving birth to her baby boy." _Ellone's voice cracked a little in the last words and the Commander could almost sense her tears as she continued _"I remember she kept calling Uncle Laguna's name to the very end... but he didn't come. He never knew his son... That is why I wanted for him to stay in Winhill no mattering what. But I couldn't... the events unfolded just the same and now I can't even go back to that period in time."_

Squall's mind raced, processing all the info his Sis had just delivered him. So Laguna had a son? What happened to him? And why couldn't the galbadian go back to the woman he clearly loved? What stopped him?

Ellone's voice interrupted his silent reverie _"I'm sorry, Squall... I can't keep... the.. connection any.. longer..."_

"No, wait! Sis!!"

"_...try... talk... again... like... this..."_

"ELLONE!!" yelled Squall to the void "Please! I need you to take me back to when Rosie fell!"

Silence.

"Ellone! Please!!"

The Commander's heart fell again in despair as he realized his Sis was no longer there. Her conscience had vanished from the void, leaving him behind like she'd done almost 12 years ago.

The shadows surrounding him started to lighten as their summoner was already gone and Squall felt the characteristic knot in the pit of his stomach announcing his departure from Ellone's dream world.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Author's note:

Hey everybody!!

Thanks for the marvelous reviews!! (thanks Dagger! I loved your comments!) I hope you like this chapter :D Since this dream in the game was really small, I decided to add the detail on Ellone's kidnapping. I'm already working on next chapter as well as in adjusting the previous ones to new changes, since they kind of ate my breakers... so now the earlier chapters look like crap. THey're totally non-readable, or at least not understandable at all. AArrrgghhh!! Can you belive I'll have to change 57 chapters!! sigh I don't want to even think about that...

Well, enough whining, I gotta get back to work...

Please, remember that all comments are always welcome, so don't be afraid to speak your mind :D

See you on next chapter!!

Lots of hugs,

Celestial Rage


	60. Chapter 60 Road to redemption

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 60: Road to redemption**

By CelestialRage

His eyes opened to thin slits, vaguely making out his surroundings. His back ached a little due to the uncomfortable position he'd just been laying in and he could feel something soft and cold within his grasp.

Pulling away slightly, the Commander realized he'd collapsed half on top of the infirmary bed with the raven-haired's hand still in his.

The memory of the weak squeeze he'd felt before falling unconscious returned to him and stormy orbs settled on Rosie's face. Squall couldn't help feeling slightly disheartened when he noticed her position hadn't changed in the least. For a very brief moment, he'd hoped he'd wake up to find her smiling back at him as she'd done countless times before.

"_You can't change the past..."_

Ellone's words made his usual frown deepen.

_So what? _

The brunet shook his head while tightening his grip on the comatose girl's hand. It didn't matter, he was not going to give up. Squall understood that if Ellone couldn't achieve any changes, then he might as well wouldn't either. However, if he was able to witness the past he might find a clue, a detail he'd not seen before...

It was his only chance.

Even if it was a slim one, he had to try.

He would not sit there to watch Rosie slowly die before him and do nothing about it. He would not abandon her again. He'll be damned if he ever turned his back on the raven-haired as he had done in Trabia... and for what? His stupid pride!

Well, he was through.

He was tired of placing Rosie's well-being after everything else.

A faint knock on the door made his attention shift from the comatose girl to the threshold. "Squall? May I come in?" asked a familiar voice.

"It's open." replied the brunet a second before Selphie appeared from behind the door.

The tiny SeeD smiled a little at the Commander "I'm sorry... I-I wanted to see how Rosie's doing."

Squall nodded, realizing he'd practically monopolized the raven-haired's room since the whole incident in Galbadia Garden happened. And although his comrades – or rather, his _friends _– had been quite respectful of the space, allowing him the time with the comatose girl, he knew they were worried about her too.

Especially Selphie.

Both girls had been close ever since their first meeting in Balamb. Who the hell was he to prevent the brunette to have time with her friend? Selphie had always been there for Rosie when he certainly couldn't say the same of himself. She'd accepted the raven-haired even after she'd confessed her true self while he'd rejected her...

He had no right to even be there.

The Commander stood up, carefully placing Rosie's hand on the mattress. "I'll be outside."

Selphie shook her head. "No, I just wanted to see-"

"Stay as long as you need." Squall's tone left no room for argument.

The brunette nodded slightly while a weak smile spread through her face. "Thanks."

The Commander nodded back and – sparing a last glance at the still girl – walked out of the room.

Selphie watch him leave before taking a seat on the chair next to the bed, her slim frame replacing Squall's broader one. Tears stung the corner of her eyes as she studied her friend's unmoving form but the tiny SeeD refused to let them fall.

She would hold hope for her just as she'd done for all of them during their journey.

"Hey, Rosie..." whispered the tiny SeeD before setting aside a dark strand from the raven-haired's face. The brunette smiled a little, thinking just how ecstatic her friend would be if she knew what the stoic Commander had been doing.

Maybe Rosie couldn't hear her, but still Selphie would gladly let her know. Who knew? Maybe the raven-haired would wake up at the thought of the Commander being worried about her.

"Squall is a very sweet guy, you know?" said the brunette softly, leaning near Rosie "He's been here by your side all this time..."

ooo ooo

A strong, calloused hand ran through his golden, short hair in a nervous habit he'd developed since childhood.

Jade green eyes kept a tight vigil on the ocean as the galbadian ship he and the slim bunch of survivors from the battle against Balamb Garden were at, sailed towards the northeast. Fortunately for the galbadians, the fleet that had parted from Timber in search for the White SeeD's ship was nearby by the time the battle unfolded and even though, most of the boats had been sunken by the estharian fleet, there were still a good number available.

Still, Seifer knew the retaliation against Garden was still far away.

First, he had some research and digging to do.

The blond's trademark smirk spread through his face. "Then, victory will be mine."

ooo ooo

Nida's eyes scanned the horizon in the dying sun's light. His hands maneuvered Garden's navigation system with practiced ease, though in the deceivingly calm Centran waters, the SeeD didn't feel secure at all.

Good thing his shift was almost done.

A bright object to his left, made the SeeD's eyes narrow in brief pain and quickly take the binoculars he kept nearby. The dark-haired man zoomed in the visor and was greeted by the sight of what appeared a long, narrow, white ship docked in a small inlet of the equally tiny island the Garden was just sailing by.

The boat's structure seemed highly damaged and the pilot could detect some figures moving along its length. Whatever had caused the ship's current state had – thank Hyne – left at least some survivors.

His hand went to the intercom.

ooo ooo

"We should send a salvage team. Don't you think, Commander?" asked Cid looking at the brunet, whose gaze was lost in the vast landscape beyond Garden's bridge windows.

Squall folded his arms, frowning further.

While a part of him wanted to help the White SeeDs, a bigger part kept repeating that Rosie's time was running out and they had to make it to Esthar as soon as possible.

However, after a long inner debate, the Commander finally nodded. Even though the SeeDs inhabiting the ship were more than capable of taking care of themselves, Squall had detected children among the survivors of the Galbadian attack. Innocent lives which the brunet didn't want to risk further.

"We'll go in." said the Commander after a minute and, turning his attention to Nida, added "Make the announcement. I'll need a medical unit to assemble in the 2nd floor deck, as well as a small SeeD squad".

"Yes, sir." replied the dark-haired man saluting his already departing superior, before hitting the intercom button again.

ooo ooo

"This sure brings back memories, don't ya agree, darlin'?" asked Irvine, hooking a heavy arm around Selphie's narrow shoulders while looking at a little boy and girl playing with a faded cloth ball.

The brunette smiled fondly at the kids and the memories their innocent games evoked. Although their childhood was barely a decade away, both teens felt like it had been a lifetime since they enjoyed themselves with simple things, basking in the peaceful bliss of the sunny summer days or a recently-baked tray of chocolate cookies.

Their memories were further emphasized by the regal, motherly figure standing among a large circle of teens and children alike. Edea's beautiful face beamed as she glanced at the now matured faces of the kids she had raised once Cid and her realized Ellone's power and built the ship to the purpose of concealing the girl from harm.

The White SeeD's leader, Noah, was among the crowd, his initial shock and confusion at seeing the older Sorceress again were quickly replaced by a fond smile when he recognized the gentle gleam he'd seen many times in his Matron's eyes during his childhood, realizing Edea was no longer under the influence of whatever entity had made her turn from the caring woman they loved to the ruthless Sorceress that had slain so many in her attempt to get to Ellone.

His happiness at having his subrogate mother back was only increased by the fact Balamb Garden had come to their aid. Although the White SeeDs were certainly not ones to ask for help, Noah was relieved the other teens had made their appearance, since their supplies were running out and the repairs taking more than he had originally planned.

"Thanks for the helping hand." said the dark-haired man smiling to the brunet standing at his side.

Squall dismissed his thanks with a slight shake of his head. The Commander vaguely motioned behind him "We'll pull the ship with our Garden. I'm sure FH's technicians will be able to repair it once we get there."

Noah nodded, but his reply was lost when a couple of familiar voices called the Commander's name, making both SeeD leaders to turn around to regard them. Squall's eyes widened slightly in honest surprise when the two men approached his position with equally wide smiles on their faces.

"Long time no see, sir!" said Watts stopping just behind the other Owl.

"Well, look who's here. How's it going, Squall?" Zone extended a hand to the brunet, who only nodded his greetings, making the dark-haired teen sigh and retract the offered hand. "Still the same." muttered Zone shaking his head in amusement before asking "What are you guys doing here in Centra?"

"I could ask you the same." replied the Commander folding his arms once more. He still couldn't believe those wackos were still alive and kicking... especially after the events in Timber.

Zone laughed and scratched the back of his head in a nervous manner "Well, long story short... we escaped from Timber and got tracked by the galbadians to a small harbour town."

Watts nodded, smiling widely "Yeah. That's when Zone went all nuts, sir. He suggested swimming all across the sea to escape!"

The Owl's leader frowned "Hey! It was a plan!" His arms folded over his chest as he looked at his friend "Besides, look who's talking! All you ever did was whine like a baby 'We're gonna die We're gonna die!' And who was the first to jump in, uh? You, numbnuts!"

Squall almost rolled his eyes at the exchange. How did this two manage to keep surviving despite their trouble-prone nature was beyond him...

"Anyway!" said Zone sighing a little "We managed to steal a small boat and got away from the continent. However, our luck didn't last long. The damn thing broke down thanks to a storm and we would have surely drowned if it weren't for this ship sailing by."

Watts nodded "A girl named Ellone was the one to spot us in the water, sir. She convinced Noah to let us come on board."

"We owe her our lives." added Zone smiling.

The White SeeD's leader smirked "That is right." He turned to look at Squall "As you know, we aren't very fond of strangers. Though I have to admit these two have been useful so far."

The Commander raised a copper eyebrow in disbelief. To him, the two Owls and the term 'useful' didn't go along in the same sentence.

"So..." Zone's voice returned Squall's attention to the current conversation "... How's Rinoa doing?"

The brunet nodded towards the huge azure structure docked next to the ship "She's inside Garden."

"Can we go see her, sir?" asked Watts with eyes shinning excitedly at the prospect of checking out the mobile SeeD base.

Against his better judgement, Squall sighed and nodded, gaining equally loud "Thanks!" from the other 2 teenagers before both Owls left hurriedly. The brunet frowned as he watched them leave. Though they were no real threat, the two teens have proved themselves time and again capable of getting into trouble whether by rotten luck or sheer stupidity. Their ability only being surpassed by Laguna's... but he was on an entirely different moronic level.

"Why are you headed for FH?" asked Noah, resuming their earlier conversation once the Owls were out of earshot.

Squall's frown deepened as he turned his attention to the White SeeD leader. "I'm looking for Ellone. That's why we're going to Esthar through the Horizon Bridge."

Noah's frame visibly tensed, his eyebrows knitting in suspicion "And why do you assume Ellone is in-"

"Because she is." Squall nearly snarled in reply. He hated having to explain himself. Why did people question everything he said? The brunet glanced at the other SeeD out the corner of his eyes, detecting the tension in his body. He sighed and unfolded his arms as he directed his stormy gaze at Noah's face "Look, we posse no threat either to you or Sis, so you can rest assured."

The dark-haired teen folded his arms and snorted "I'll be judge of that."

"Whatever" replied Squall turning around. He walked a couple of steps before stopping and turning his head enough to regard the other's presence "I know you don't trust strangers, not even SeeDs and I can understand why. But we're on the same side in this." The brunet's head returned to the front and he resumed his walk "If you still want, we'll drag the ship to FH."

Noah's frown deepened as he watched the Commander walk away. Even when Ellone's safety was the first priority of the White SeeDs, the leader knew they still had children to look out for and given their current situation, they didn't have the luxury of refusing the other SeeD leader's offer.

A genuine one at that.

Noah's lips curled into a very small smile. At least this 'Squall' seemed an honest person. Blunt and cold as ice, but honourable.

And that was an attribute he could trust.

ooo ooo

"RINOA!!"

The raven-haired froze in place at the sound of the familiar voices calling (or rather, shouting) her name. She turned around and smiled widely before practically being tackled by two pairs of arms, the medical supplies she'd been carrying flying across the room.

"Zone! Watts!" managed Rinoa between cheerful laughter, returning the hugs as best as she could given her smaller frame "What are you guys doing here? How did-?"

"Trust me, lovely. It's a LONG story!" replied the Owl leader smiling as he untangled himself from his friend.

Watts only nodded, unable to do something else while trying to cover his teary eyes from the other two. Especially Zone, as the younger Owl knew the other man would tease him endlessly for this.

The raven-haired girl smirked "Well, I have plenty of time. Help me pick up the things you both made me drop and then tell me everything in detail."

One of the doors to the small waiting room the three teens were at opened. "What is all that noise?" asked the doctor frowning "There are patients that need sleep here!"

"Sorry, doctor K." replied Rinoa, offering the older woman an apologetic smile. Her gesture widened as a sudden idea flashed in her mind "In apology my friends here will volunteer to help us out in the infirmary. Isn't that right, guys?" she asked sending both Owls an overly angelic smile.

Zone and Watts gulped, knowing the gesture held a 'I'll gladly break your bones otherwise' threat beneath the sweetness it showed.

"Sure! We'll be glad to help..." replied the dark-haired teen as his friend nodded in agreement, both sending a nervous look at the now smirking raven-haired.

ooo ooo

Later that day, a brief reunion took place in Cid's office in which Noah gave the other SeeDs an account of the events following Ellone's retrieval from Garden. The White ship had been sailing east when they were detected by a galbadian fleet. Noah had tried to lose their attackers in the Centran waters, but soon enough the crimson ships had encountered them and the SeeDs had no other choice but to battle them.

"We lost several comrades that day..." muttered the dark-haired teen, clenching his fists at his sides. "But the damage was contained thanks to the estharian fleet that came to our aid. They appeared out of nowhere... and defeated half of the galbadian armada in the blink of an eye... Hyne! Their technology is something I've never seen before..."

"However, the galbadians pulled themselves together after the initial shock of the surprise attack and we were caught in the middle of their counterattack." Noah shook his head slightly at the memories of heavy gunfire and explosions booming through the seemingly endless ocean, whose waters had tinted crimson that day "A boat came by and estharian soldiers jumped in. They practically ordered us to evacuate, but we refused."

"The battle became more heated and before the estharian boat pulled away to join their comrades, Ellone ran to the railing and yelled something that made the ship to stop and return. Before I knew what was happening, she jumped into the vessel without a second thought." Noah's eyes narrowed "To this day I still don't know why she did it... but the strangest thing is... she was smiling when the estharian ship turned around and vanished in their optic camouflage."

"After that, we managed to make our boat to move enough to retreat from the battlefield to that small inlet you found us in. The estharians were covering our retreat and for what I can tell, they did a pretty good job... we haven't seen another galbadian in days."

The White SeeD leader turned to look at Squall "That's why I was surprised when you said you were going to Esthar to find Ellone. How did you know about her whereabouts if I hadn't told you this before?" he asked folding his arms.

The brunet shrugged. "Someone told me."

Noah raised a dark eyebrow "Who?"

Squall shook his head "Sorry, but I can't tell you that." Without another word, the Commander turned and left the office, leaving not only Noah, but also the Headmaster, Edea and his friends surprised by his demeanour.

"I'm sorry, son." offered Cid with an apologetic smile after a while. "Squall is just worried about this person's safety. Her knowledge has helped us in dire circumstances and he fears someone may know about the vantage she has granted us and attack her."

"Not that it hasn't happened yet." muttered Zell frowning.

Noah nodded "I understand, sir. Don't worry."

The Headmaster nodded back with a wide smile "Well, then. Shall we make the proper arrangements for our trip?"

ooo ooo

A week later, Balamb Garden had finally made it to Fisherman's Horizon, dragging the White ship behind them. Although most of the boat's inhabitants had been moved inside the huge azure structure – either to be treated by Kadowaki or just to ensure their safety –, Noah and a small group of SeeDs had remained inside the damaged vehicle to maneuver through the Centran treacherous waters.

As soon as the huge facility docked, Squall, Xu and Quistis had gone to the Mayor's house. The brunet's eyes narrowed in thought as the three of them descended the long path leading to the center of the sun panel. The last time the Commander had been there, Rosie had been the one to lead the way, almost dragging him by his sleeve to the incredible stage where his friends had performed between the cheering of Garden's students and SeeDs alike.

As they stepped into the metallic platform, Xu took the lead when the Commander stood silently, his gaze lost in a far corner. Quistis sighed inaudibly before nodding her dark-haired friend forwards. The senior SeeD knocked the door and was soon greeted by the frowning face of the Mayor.

Xu was surprised, Dobe had certainly aged since the last time the SeeDs were in this city. His eyes had deep circles underneath and he seemed to have lost several pounds, which was worrying giving his rather slim constitution.

"What do you want now, SeeDs?" asked the Mayor bitterly.

"Mayor Dobe. A pleasure to see you again, sir." greeted the dark-haired woman bowing slightly before the older man, paying no heed at his annoyed tone.

"I'm afraid I can't say the same." replied Dobe shaking his head.

"I'm really sorry to disturb you, sir." said Xu smiling slightly. No doubt the older man was still pissed at them for the incident with the galbadians. "But we need a small favour from you."

"And what would that be?" asked a female voice from the inside of the house. The Mayor's wife stepped next to him, frowning at the teens. "Haven't you done enough in this city? How much damage do you plan on doing?!"

"None." replied Squall, finally tearing his gaze from the spot he'd talked with Rosie during the concert. The Commander nodded slowly before saying "We need you to borrow us a boat capable of sailing into Esthar's territory."

_Since __Garden's huge structure would wreck in the submarine rocks... we need a lighter vessel._

Dobe chuckled "I'm sorry, kid. But there's no such a boat and even if there was..." his eyes narrowed "... what makes you think I'll borrow it to ya? Esthar was once our home, the last thing I want is for you SeeDs to taint it with your violent nature."

Squall's frown deepened and he was barely able to contain his annoyed growl at the Mayor's attitude.

"I know you don't condone our 'violent nature', as you call it." replied Quistis as calmly as the current situation allowed her "However, if I recall correctly, it was our skill in battle that saved this city from the galbadians-"

"You brought them here in the first place!" snapped Flo angrily, pointing an accusatory finger at the blonde woman.

"You know that's not true." Xu's dark eyes narrowed "It was by sheer luck that we arrived here before them and-"

"Our town was severely damaged and our people almost got killed in the battle _you_ started! So don't you dare say we _owe_ you something!" replied the enraged older woman.

Xu was about to say something, but Squall placed a hand over the dark-haired SeeD's shoulder and shook his head slightly. His message was clear: drop it.

_If they still blame us on the galbadian attack, then __there's nothing we can say to convince them otherwise._

_Whatever._

If they didn't borrow him a ship, then he would steal one... or he would simply carry Rosie all the way to Esthar. He didn't care. All the Commander knew was he had to take the raven-haired to the secluded territory at all costs.

And damn him if the old geezer was going to stop him!

"Thanks for your time." said Squall in the coldest tone he could muster, smiling inwardly at the flinches he received from the old couple. The Commander nodded his comrades forward and the SeeDs were about to leave when the Mayor called them. The women exchanged a knowing smile, seemed the stubborn ass knew better than to make enemies with SeeDs. Especially after the brunet's deadly tone.

"I wasn't lying about the boat." said Dobe frowning. "Currently, there is no vessel that could sail you safely into Esthar's border. We had one... but it's no longer in my possession."

"Who has it then?" asked Squall, folding his arms.

"The Master Fisherman." replied the Mayor shrugging as if the answer was obvious. "He travels a lot around the globe. If I remember correctly, he said he was going to spend some time at the Shumi village."

"Do you know when he's most likely to return?" asked Quistis frowning a little.

Dobe shook his head. "I'm afraid not. His travels usually last for months and we haven't had word from him ever since you were last in our city."

_Months?_

Squall closed his eyes. He couldn't wait that long.

_What if Rosie...?_

The brunet shook his head, a low growl leaving him in frustration at his dreadful thoughts that assaulted his mind. The Mayor seemed to sense the Commander's tenseness and cleared his throat briefly before finally saying:

"We might be able to arrange something for you earlier, though."

"Really?" asked Xu smiling.

Dobe nodded "One of our unused vessels. You see, when we came here from Esthar, we did it in three ships. But once we settled down and without as much funds as we needed to start our colony, we had no other choice than to use those ships' parts to assemble several smaller ones." The older man's eyes wandered beyond the solar panel, his mind lost in memories from several years past

"As time passed, we forgot about the ships... I guess we saw them as the last link to our previous life. One we wanted to leave behind." The Mayor sighed and returned his attention to the teens standing in front of him "As you can see, we have the resources to assemble one for you. Though, I'm afraid it won't be ready until a couple of weeks..."

ooo ooo

Squall opened the door to the infirmary as quietly as possible. The last thing he wanted was to wake up the slumbering doctor. The older woman had practically banished the brunet from the infirmary until he got 'a proper night's sleep in his own dorm' and not the light napping in the infirmary room he'd grown accustomed to ever since the incident in Galbadia Garden.

The Commander's eyes settled on the unconscious raven-haired resting on the mattress before him.

"_Though, __I'm afraid it won't be ready until a couple of weeks..."_

The brunet frowned.

Although it was a better choice than to wait until the so-called 'Master Fisherman' returned from his trip to the northern islands, Squall still felt an intense foreboding sensation invading his very soul. What if it was already too late by then?

The SeeD took a seat in the already too familiar chair, his body relaxing in his normal slumping position while a gloved hand ran through longish, copper bangs.

_What can I do?_

He certainly couldn't calmly wait two weeks until the boat was finished, especially now that Rosie's paleness had increased. Squall knew the clock was ticking faster with every breath she took and soon the little time she had left would be consumed... along with her life.

His blue-grey eyes stared at the huge, long metallic structure that extended as far as he could see, high above the calm waves now showered with the golden light of early dawn. The Commander's frown deepened. How many chances did he have of crossing the Horizon Bridge before the boat was ready?

It was madness.

Even with his junctions, he was thinking on crossing almost half of the word by foot? Yeah, sure.

But maybe, if he had some kind of vehicle...

Squall's eyes narrowed in thought. The brunet stood up abruptly and quickly left the infirmary to get whatever he would need for such a trip ready as soon as possible.

ooo ooo

In the retreating shadows, a figure moved swiftly through the tiled floor, his booted steps barely breaking the otherwise dead silence of the room.

The sliding door opened to reveal the already familiar scene: the slumbering raven-haired's position hadn't changed a bit since the last time the doctor's assistant had cleaned and changed the clothes of the cold, unresponsive body.

The brunet walked to the side of the bed and carefully slid his arms underneath the girl's prone form.

_C'mon, Rosie._ He mentally instructed her.

_Let's go to Esthar._

Lifting the limp raven-haired, Squall spared a quick glance around the medical room before turning around and clumsily closing the door behind him.

As he walked out of the infirmary, the Commander couldn't help but be relieved that Rosie's current condition didn't require the aid of medicines or artificial means to sustain her life. Otherwise, his plan would have never been possible.

Quickly making his way through Garden, Squall carried Rosie to the second room's deck. Producing the black cardkey from his rear pockets, the brunet faintly smirked at the thought that being the Commander had its vantages. That part of the facility had practically been sealed after the battle with the galbadians, so not a single soul was nearby as the brunet carefully opened the door and exited Garden with his cargo.

The fresh, salty breeze caressed his face, catching both his longish copper stands and Rosie's darker hair. Squall gazed as the first golden rays of sunlight lightened the world, making the calm ocean waters to shine like diamonds wherever the warm light hit the surface. Cradling the raven-haired's frame better in his arms, the Commander turned his gaze to the blue building behind him.

_I'm sorry, everyone._

_But I can't go on like this..._

Squall's gaze shifted from Garden's majestic sight to Rosie's face. Stormy eyes narrowed as she inhaled, the motion was so faint had the brunet not been watching intently, it would have surely gone unnoticed. Tightening his grip on the unconscious girl, the Commander started his way towards FH.

The first step Squall took away from Garden's premises had been a crucial one. Here he was, the so-called 'Commader of SeeD' abandoning his comrades and the institution he'd devoted his entire life to... and for what? A half-living girl he barely knew and whose probabilities of surviving were quickly dropping with every passing hour.

_Some leader I make..._ thought bitterly the brunet. He'd never wanted the position to begin with, but he had accepted it and therefore held a responsibility with the other SeeDs and cadets under his command. He would disappoint every single one of them...

Still, Squall didn't regret his decision.

His steps quickly carried him to the abandoned train station, the early morning light filtered through the broken windows in a multicolored rain. The brunet placed Rosie's form over the heavy motorcycle he'd brought almost a couple of hours earlier. The vehicle was part of the several spoils the SeeDs had claimed after the battle against Galbadia Garden had concluded, most of them were currently in storage inside the garage and quad. Using his keycard, the Commander had 'borrowed' one of the heavy motorcycles, along with what he hoped was enough gas to get him along the bridge's distance. A black duffle bag containing food and several bottles of water was securely attached to the vehicle's rear. Squall double-checked everything was ready before finally climbing behind Rosie and starting the engine.

The motorcycle roared as it came back to life, the loud sound scaring a flock of seagulls slumbering in the building's rooftop. A shower of white feathers enveloped both teens before the brunet sped the vehicle, finally leaving his doubts and Garden's huge, azure form behind.

ooo ooo

The door to the infirmary slid open.

"Good morning, doctor!" chirped Selphie smiling as she entered the waiting room. Behind her, the taller form of the cowboy entered the white, sterilized facility with a nervous air around him. The truth was, Irvine hated hospitals... but above all, the sharpshooter was terrified of needles.

"Morning." replied Kadowaki with a nod. The older woman was busy checking some notes on her desk.

"Do you mind if we check on Rosie before Squall arrives?" asked the brunette.

"Not at all, dear."

"Thanks!"

Irvine followed the smaller girl through the narrow corridor, his face paling at the sight of the sharp medical instruments placed casually on a tray near the door leading to the back rooms. His heart skipped a beat when the sound of the door sliding was replaced by a sharp gasp from Selphie. Immediately, the cowboy's eyes focused on the brunette's form searching for injuries or any other ailment that could have elicited the girl's reaction.

"Where's Rosie?" asked Selphie looking around the room, her statement making the sharpshooter relax a little as it was an external cause the reason for the tiny SeeD's bewilderment.

Irvine's eyes narrowed. "Let's ask Kadowaki."

Selphie nodded and both teens bolted to where the doctor was still filling some papers. The older woman's eyes immediately shifted from her work to the SeeDs' faces as the sound of their hurried steps reached her ears.

"What's wrong?" asked the doctor rising from her seat, ready to get in action.

"Doc, did you move Rosie?" asked Irvine

The older woman frowned, shaking her head. "No, she should be in her room..."

"She's not." replied Selphie worried.

The cowboy remained silent for a minute while the women discussed on whether someone external to Garden could have entered the facility or not and his or her reasons for taking the comatose girl. Finally, Irvine cracked a smile and shook his head.

"I wouldn't worry about her."

Emerald eyes widened and looked at the sharpshooter as though he had gone completely insane. "But, Irvy!! How can you say that?!"

The cowboy circled Selphie's shoulders with a long arm and smiled wider. "I bet you 50 gil, Squall is not in his dorm either." He finished with a wink.

"What?" asked the doctor shocked. "You think the Commander took...?"

Irvine shrugged "Who else?"

Selphie's worried expression melted into a thoughtful one. "He didn't wait for the boat... he took her to Esthar himself." muttered the brunette vaguely, gaining a mumbled reply from the cowboy. "What?" asked the tiny SeeD raising an eyebrow at the sharpshooter's barely audible answer.

"_Semper fi"_ repeated the cowboy louder. A smile touched the corner of his lips as he finally said "Always faithful... that's how Squall is."

ooo ooo

Hours rolled by as the Commander kept riding the heavy vehicle along the tracks. Fortunately for him, they were in good conditions, making his trip faster than expected. As the sun ascended and then kept its journey to the other end of the skyline, Squall was confronted with the reality and magnitude of his decision.

_What the hell am I doing?_

_Going to Esthar to find Ellone._

_But who guaranties that once I'm finally able to talk to her Rosie will be alright again?_

_..._

_No one._

_Then why?_

Stormy eyes narrowed as the answer came in a single, two-worded phrase.

_Just because..._

Because he couldn't give up. Because there was still hope left and he'll be damned if he let it slip past him without a fight. Even when getting inside the secluded country was almost a suicide mission – one he'd not dared to drag his friends along – and even when the possibility of Rosie finally dying despite him being able to bring her to Ellone's presence was real, Squall still planned on keeping up.

And the notion of the faith his heart held, stunned him.

Never in his whole life had Squall left faith and hope make him keep going. Normally, if something was more likely lost, the brunet discarded it. When logic told him the probabilities were near zero, he walked away. He fought, yeah. But only to a logical, possible state. When a result could be achievable.

The thoughts he'd during his talk with Quistis the night of his graduation ball flashed in his mind.

"_If you __can't change it, then why bother?"_

But in this case...

_I ... sure have changed._

He who once had considered trust dangerous, who had never wanted to depend on anyone or to have anyone to depend on him, was now eating his own words. Three months ago if someone had told Squall Leonhart he'd be riding a motorcycle along the Horizon Bridge in order to enter the unexplored and dangerous lands of the most powerful country in the world to find his long-lost Sis and save the life of a girl he barely knew... he'd have laughed in his face... well, some.

"_Life can be so ironic"_

The brunet nodded. Cid had been so right that time too.

Stormy eyes narrowed as his train of thought deviated to that day when the Headmaster had finally revealed him the true mission of SeeD. Fear suddenly engulfed the Commander's heart as a sudden thought flashed in his mind.

"_... __she'll turn Rinoa into a Sorceress"_

"_If Ultimecia is inside Rosie, don't you think it would be a BIG mistake to get her anywhere near Sis?"_

What if Rosie was indeed a Sorceress now?

He was a SeeD... the leader of SeeD none the less...

And his mission was to get rid of her kind.

His gaze drifted for a moment from the road to the raven-haired's face. Her whole body leaned heavily against his, her head settled on his upper chest. He remembered the first battle against Edea and the way Rosie had placed herself between the Sorceress's attack and his paralyzed body. She'd willingly risked her own life to save his even when the possibility of the cold spear coursing through her body and keep going directly through him was real.

She'd healed his injures, holding hope for him everytime.

"_Stay with me, Squall."_

How could he do anything else?

Stormy eyes narrowed in determination as they returned to the improvised highway. Squall wouldn't let anything stop him, not the distance nor the monsters lurking in the deserted lands or the soldiers waiting in the xenophobic city. But above everything else, not his own doubts and fears. He would stand strong alongside Rosie and even if she happened to be a Sorceress now...

... he will never leave her alone again.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author's note:_

_Hi to everyone!! I'm back again! Sorry for the late update :D_

_Thanks so much for the encouraging reviews XD Especially from those who submitted an anonymous one. Dagger, dear, as always thanks for your words :D _

_AnotherlatinRosie, thanks so much for sticking around and reading the whole story even though the damn FFnet screw the breakers (thanks to the new readers for this as well XD I've already remedied that... and I gotta say I'm EXHAUSTED!!) Of course I'd like to be friends with you, it's always interesting to contact different people from other parts of the world :D_

_As always I'd like to encourage you to PM me if you want to... I don't bite, promise! XD_

_I hope you had enjoyed this chapter. I really like this part in the game, though to be honest I always thought it was kind of silly (sweet, yeah, but silly) to have the poor Squall carry Rinoa all the way across the equivalent of the Atlantic Ocean by foot!! I mean, ok, he's a SeeD and has enough junctions and military training to help him survive such an ordeal... but seriously! How much time did he spend in that bridge?_

_That's why I included a motorcycle. Fast and smooth enough to make the lengthy journey relatively easier than it was originally._

_I hope it wasn't corny... you know I have a problem with that... (sigh) Anyway!! Enjoy and remember all comments are always welcome!_

_Lots of hugs and kisses,_

_Celestial Rage_

_OH! And before I forget - which I tend to do lately - I want to thank SoMuchforFate for reminding me that on april the 28th this story reached 1 year of existence. All I can say is thanks to all of you, because without your endless support, this wouldn't have been possible. :D Let's hope that during the next year I finally finish it!! jejejeje Thanks again!! _


	61. Chapter 61 Unknown Horizons

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII..._

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 61: Unknown horizons**

By CelestialRage

Three days had passed since Squall's travel along the Horizon Bridge started. The brunet had barely stopped to eat and refill the motorcycle's fuel, all the while wondering what his friends were doing now that they most likely knew he and Rosie had vanished from Garden.

Were they laughing at his stupid choice?

Were they angry and disappointed at his desertion?

The brunet climbed the heavy vehicle, taking his position behind the raven-haired's limp frame. Brushing aside ebony strands from her face, Squall sighed inaudibly.

"What do you think?" he asked the comatose girl. When obviously no reply came, the Commander's eyes shifted to the already dying sun, scanning the horizon and realizing just how far he still was from his goal. He'd never thought the estharian lands would still be _that_ far away...

... but the truth was, he had long since stopped caring about it.

Readjusting Rosie's position to be sure she was securely concealed by his arms, Squall started the engine and let it roar in the late afternoon's peace before resuming his hurried travel to the other side of the improvised highway.

ooo ooo

"Sir Almasy!" yelled a soldier quickly climbing the stairs leading to the vessel's cockpit. His abrupt entrance made the cabin's occupants shift their attention from the maps they were studying to his flustered face.

"What is it?" snarled the blond in annoyance at the sudden interruption.

The soldier saluted Seifer and his 2 companions nervously before saying "Sir, we finally found it."

A crimson eye narrowed, focusing the icy stare on the trooper. The woman's stone-hard tone following suit "SURE?"

"Yes, Commander." replied the soldier "The underwater team has just reported a magnetic anomaly, about 5 km under our current position."

The blond's trademark smirk appeared. "Excellent. Start the retrieval." His smirk widened as his eyes settled on the eastern waters "We're taking Pandora home."

ooo ooo

Stormy eyes opened and Squall silently cursed as he realized he'd slept more than he'd intended.

The sun was barely in the highest point of the sky when the brunet had decided to halt, his entire body feeling weak with exhaustion. He hadn't slept in nearly 72 hours and the need to regain his energy was definitely gaining the best of him. Carefully sliding the raven-haired from the motorcycle, the Commander had placed her gingerly at the poor shadow a partially crumbled and corroded train car produced on its side of the abandoned tracks.

Drinking from one of the bottles he had inside his bag, Squall glanced at the horizon and summoned Cerberus's protective presence to guard the SeeDs' resting place from any harm before finally laying beside Rosie and losing himself into heavy slumber.

Sliding the rusty train's door open with some effort, the Commander was mildly amused by the sight of the huge Hellhound laying just in front of the abandoned vehicle, guarding the entrance as though he was nothing more than an ordinary dog. An armored, three-headed, gargantuan, magic wielding, powerful dog at that...

As soon as Squall stepped out of the train, Cerberus sat up and let out a loud, thundering howl before vanishing into a dark, smoky cloud. His summoner and the girl were safe, so the Hellish Guardian's duty had successfully been accomplished.

The brunet quickly set Rosie and his gear in place before continuing his journey towards east. As the last hours of night rolled by, Squall was finally able to view the large mountain range that surrounded the estharian territory approaching. At first, it was only the hills' tops that quickly transformed into looming giants of dark stone as the motorcycle kept running towards the end of the first leg of the brunet's journey.

Another sun rose, and it was in the dawn of the fifth day of his travel when the Commander finally detected a building in the distance. Narrowing his eyes, Squall's heart lightened when he recognized it as an old, abandoned station, most likely the twin of the one positioned in FH, which meant the SeeD had finally arrived at the edge of the Horizon Bridge.

The roaring of the heavy vehicle died down and stormy eyes glanced around the place. A large, rusty train was stationed behind the half-crumbled, metallic building of what once had been a small station. Near it, stood a high water tower, the heavily weather-damaged structure dripped the precious liquid, which Squall highly doubted was potable anymore.

A sudden rustle at his left, made the brunet's head whip in the noise's direction, his hand immediately drawing Revolver as he held Rosie's frame with his other arm.

"Chill out, man. It's us!"

Stormy eyes widened at the familiar voice, his surprise further emphasized as a short, bulky blond came into view.

"Zell?" muttered Squall shocked.

The martial artist smiled wider. "In the flesh, baby!"

"What are you doing here?" asked the Commander still not believing his eyes. A sudden thought flashed in his mind, the brunet immediately voicing his query "And _how_ did you get here?"

Zell shrugged "We were waiting for ya, man. And I gotta tell, ya... you're late." The blond folded his arms and continued "We expected you here yesterday's evening. Sure took your time." At Squall's subsequent frown, the martial artist decided not to push the issue further. "As for the how, we used _that_." He finished pointing to the west.

The brunet's eyes followed Zell's finger, a copper eyebrow raising in surprise at the sight of a small, white and sky blue boat. The vehicle's design was ergonomic enough to allow the vessel to travel at incredibly fast speeds, which Squall was sure his friends had done in order to get here earlier than he did.

"If you had waited a couple more days, things would have gone smoother." said Quistis approaching his position. "The Master Fisherman happened to return earlier than anyone had expected and gladly spared us his boat."

Another figure approached the blonde, Edea's beautiful face lightened further as she smiled warmly at the brunet "It's good to see you both are ok."

Squall nodded back, sheathing Revolver and hoisting Rosie on his back as though he was giving her a piggyback ride.

"We were keeping an eye out for ya, but we didn't spot you on the bridge, man." said Zell, moving to help the brunet support the limp raven-haired so he could better accommodate her on his back.

"I didn't see you either." replied the Commander nodding at the blond once Rosie was settled correctly.

_Guess they passed by my position when I was asleep on the train..._

"Well, it seems all we need now is to wait for Selphie and Irvine to return." said Quistis smiling.

A copper eyebrow raised "They're also here?"

Edea nodded. "They went to take a look a couple of hours ago."

The blonde SeeD approached Squall and shook her head "You should have waited. We were going to come along too, remember? You didn't have to travel alone."

The brunet shrugged (as much as he could given his burden) "Whatever."

Quistis was about to add more, but Zell's overly loud voice interrupted her. "Hey, there they are!" the SeeDs and their Matron turned their attention to the station's northern entrance, quickly spotting two approaching figures.

A minute later, Selphie and Irvine joined their comrades. The tiny brunette gave a final bounce as she came to a halt next to the taller blonde woman. "Hey, Squall!" greeted Selphie happily, her cheery attitude even in the direst of situations never ceasing to amaze the Commander. "How are both of you doing?"

Squall nodded in silent reply of their good condition. "Were you able to see anything?"

Irvine shook his head. "Nope. We did a 15 mile-round survey and found nothing else but barren plateaus north and west from here-"

"And salt flats!" interrupted Selphie "They extend for several miles at east."

The cowboy nodded "I think that's our best shot."

"Through the salt flats?!" exclaimed Zell, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Yeah." Irvine frowned and folded his long arms across his chest "When we were looking in that direction, I detected some movement in the horizon." The cowboy shook his head slightly "I know it might sound weird, but it looked as though the space 'shifted' before my very eyes."

"Might be the entrance to Esthar." muttered Squall after a silent minute. When his comrades' stares turn to him, the Commander shook his head and said "Remember what Noah said about the estharian float?"

Selphie immediately raised an arm "Me! Me! I know!"

Quistis frowned a little before her eyes widened in understanding and settled on the taller brunet standing at her left "He said they had optical camouflage..."

Squall nodded.

"Aww! I was going to say that!" protested the tiny SeeD pouting and folding her arms, her actions eliciting a chuckle from her Matron and the cowboy standing next to her.

"I see... Of course!" exclaimed Zell bouncing "We should be able to see a city as large as Esthar is rumored to be even from here, right?"

"Well, seems we have a course. Right, fearless leader?" asked Irvine eyeing Squall.

The Commander rearranged his burden's weight on his back and nodded "You and Selphie lead the way. Keep your eyes open, we don't know what we might encounter."

ooo ooo

"The repairs will be ready in 3 or 4 days more or less." said a greasy technician cleaning his blackened hands in an old rag.

Noah bowed slightly "Thank you."

"No prob, pal!" replied the man shaking his head to dismiss the teen's thanks. "The SeeDs brought my bro and some good old friends o'mine back from Galbadia. No matter what Dobe says, I know SeeD are friends." His lips parted in a wide, toothy grin "And you know what they say, my friends' friends are mine too."

From the distance, Cid Kramer watched as several techs surveyed the damage done not only to the White ship but also to Balamb Garden's structure. His mind, however, soon left the repairs to both SeeD facilities to focus on his wife's retreating form and the reassuring smile she gifted him with before finally boarding the ship that would lead her and her young escorts to the coast of the secluded estharian continent.

Though the Headmaster wanted nothing else than going with Edea on the long and dangerous journey, both knew the older man had other responsibilities.

Cid frowned slightly as he remembered his own words to Ana a month ago. Now he found himself in the same position and although it was difficult not to, the Headmaster knew he had to stop worrying. Edea was in the best hands and he had confidence the SeeDs will accomplish their mission.

A smile teased the corner of the man's lips as the momentary wish he'd done the same as Squall entered his mind. Cid was proud of the young brunet, he'd not repeated his mistake. Instead of waiting and praying for the best, the Commander had taken the risk, damning it all to hell and following his heart's lead.

The Headmaster's smile widened as words he'd heard several years past echoed in his mind.

"_The courageous might live less, but the cautious don't live at all."_

Perhaps there was still hope for the young Commander after all...

ooo ooo

"Hello? I don't see a city here!" chirped Selphie as she peered around from their position on a steep hill overlooking the salt plains she and Irvine had talked about earlier.

Edea sighed, amber eyes gazing upon the length of the deserted, bluish land that seemed to extend as far as the eye could see. "Seems we are in for a long trip."

"Indeed." said Quistis nodding before turning towards her subrogate mother and smiling in a reassuring way. "But don't worry, Matron. We're all be here for you."

"Thank you, my dear." replied the older woman, smiling in kind. Her long hair swayed as a brief breeze captured it and the teens could detect the slight tension that enveloped Edea's body as she returned her attention from the blonde's beautiful face to the dead lands ahead them.

"What's wrong, Matron?" asked Zell.

"This place has an unnatural aura..." muttered the Sorceress frowning a little "... it formed by magical means... Adel's power has tainted these lands."

Selphie tilted her head to the side "What for?"

Edea shook her head "I don't know... I can't perceive her magic's intention clearly. I'm afraid my powers are still too weak." The older woman sighed "All I can say is there's evil in this place and I'm afraid my presence is an added burden to you my children..."

"Don't say that Matron." protested the brunette frowning a little, a gesture that was indeed very strange in the girl's pretty face.

"Sefie is right." Irvine said smiling warmly in the older woman's direction "We'll keep you safe."

The Sorceress returned the smile, but failed to keep it in place for long. "Remember you'll have to stay alert all the time. Although my powers are still weak, we don't know when Ultimecia might decide to join us."

"Someone once told me..." muttered Squall, gaining the group's glances and breaking the deep silence that had enveloped the group like a miasma "... that if you mention bad things, they will happen." The brunet shook his head slightly "I know it's a silly superstition, but right now I want to believe it. So let's not talk about it anymore."

The teens nodded in agreement before the group started the painfully slow descent. Given the hill's incline, Edea and Squall had to watch their steps very carefully, neither her lack of training nor his added burden making matters easier for them.

"This place sure is creepy!" exclaimed Selphie once they managed to reach the ground. Emerald eyes wandered through the deserted valley and the tiny SeeD couldn't help the shiver coursing down her spine as she detected the numerous fossilized skeletons embedded to the hard, dark stone.

Irvine halted beside the Commander, raising a long arm to point at something in the distance "There it is. Do you see the anomaly?"

Stormy eyes narrowed as Squall scanned the horizon. After a silent while, the brunet snorted and shook his head "Seems your vision is sharper than mine."

The cowboy chuckled "Well, shouldn't be surprising." Adjusting his dark hat, Irvine added "Guess you'll have to trust me on this one."

The brunet shrugged "I guess so."

"Well, Mr. Eagle Eyes..." said Zell joining the other two male SeeDs in the front line "... which way?"

ooo ooo

Nida's eyes wandered through the complicated communication device they were currently working on. The blinking lights and constant beeping noises made the dark haired SeeD develop an intense headache, and the fact that the small room inside the Mayor's house lower levels was crowded and therefore, hot, did nothing to appease his foul mood.

"Well, it's almost done." muttered Xu wiping some sweat from her forehead.

Nida smirked "Good. Because I really need to get some fresh air."

"Well, join the club." said Xu smiling back.

The door to the small room opened and both SeeDs turned to look at Rinoa. The raven-haired girl greeted her companions and handed them a canned drink before taking a seat next to Xu and glancing at the com device.

"Have you managed to reach Trabia?" asked Rinoa

The female SeeD shook her head slightly while opening the soda can "Nope. I'm still working on the com's configuration..." after a long sip, Xu added "... but it'll be ready in a couple of hours max."

The raven-haired nodded. "I see."

Rinoa's eyes settled on the blinking panel, while her mind settled on her friends. Although the raven-haired girl had wanted to accompany the SeeDs and Edea into Esthar's territory, Quistis had absolutely forbidden her to go. She could understand the SeeD's reasons for it, but the truth was, Rinoa couldn't care less.

The unexplored lands of the eastern country and the dangers that might await them were meaningless if the raven-haired could have a chance to speak with doctor Odine. The issue of Rosie's origin was still a heavy weight in Rinoa's heart and, although she found it easier to carry it now, the doubt was still there.

And the mental release the famous scientist could bring her was well worth the trouble.

The only thing that had prevented Rinoa from following the SeeDs was the fact Cid had said they would be joining Squall and the others in Esthar once the FH technicians had made some adjustments to Garden's floatation device so the facility could manage the rough estharian terrain.

Still, Rinoa couldn't help but wait the minutes until they finally left the small town's harbor.

ooo ooo

"We're close." stated Irvine still moving on the lead.

Almost an hour had passed since they started their journey through the plains. Edea and Squall advanced in the middle of the group, all the SeeDs' trained eyes wandered around their surroundings in full alert.

The Commander's frown deepened and he came to a sudden halt, stormy eyes settling on a pile of bones resting between some dark boulders at their right.

"What's wrong?" asked Quistis eyeing the brunet.

A silent minute passed and finally Squall shook his head "I thought I heard a noise. Guess not."

"Hey! I see it!" squealed Selphie loudly, pointing somewhere above a small cliff further down where the skeleton rested.

The tiny SeeD's voice was suddenly replaced by a deep, thunderous growl that made the teens' hands immediately move to their weapons. Squall quickly placed Rosie's body down, resting the raven-haired against the grayish ground before muttering a protective spell over her laying form.

Whirling around while unsheathing Revolver, the Commander's eyes narrowed when he was greeted by the sight of a huge skeleton-like creature. The gargantuan monster had formed of the different bones scattered through the place, making it look incredibly odd as its body seemed a strange mixture of a large insect along with other creatures Squall couldn't quite identify.

The other SeeDs were already in motion, Selphie and Quistis moved in front of Edea while Fira and Thundara spells sizzled towards the gargantuan monster. Abadon growled in pain as the magical energies reached it in a blinding, powerful, heated flash. Zell dashed under the skeleton's legs and jumped, whirling around in mid-air and casting a Cura on the creature's left arm.

Abadon's subsequent roar made the rocky mounds nearby tremble. It quickly turned, lashing its half-melted arm towards the martial artist. However, before it made contact with the blond, Valliant's powerful blast ripped the limb off entirely in a rain of bullets.

Another healing spell reached the monster's side and Abadon hissed in pain and rage. Suddenly, its already massive height increased as the monster's legs extended completely. The skeleton emitted a powerful, high-pitched cry and the boulders trembled again. Deep cracks formed on the hard stone until it crumbled in a deafening cacophony of destruction. Several shrill cries boomed and the SeeD's eyes widened when a whole garrison of sword-wielding skeletons emerged from the dusty debris.

"Oh, shit!" cursed Zell barely dodging a crimson blade before snaking his left arm around the Forbidden's outstretched one and elbowing the monster's head with enough force the growling skull flew several meters away, finally meeting its end at the mercy of Revolver's blade.

Squall blinked in confusion as white debris fell around him and shrugged inwardly before resuming his attack on Abadon. The brunet dodged a vicious clawed attack, quickly turning around and slicing his gunblade through the boney limb. Immediately after, a searing pain enveloped his form and Squall found himself momentarily blinded when Abadon counterattacked him with a powerful Flare spell.

The Commander's frame was hurled away, colliding with some other Forbiddens in his path before finally coming to a halt. Coughing slightly, Squall used a healing spell on himself and other at an approaching undead before settling his attention on the gargantuan monster once more.

A bright light spread through the battlefield and the SeeDs' eyes shifted to the lonely figure standing several meters away from the fight. Huge white wings spread from behind the lithe frame before a loud rumble was heard and the ground shook violently. The wings raised and a huge metallic form with them.

Steam formed all around the Guardian's body as a rain of white feathers flew over the battlefield once Alexander extended the wings as far as they would go. The armored head scanned the scene before it, taking note of the SeeDs – who shouldn't be harmed – and their enemies before two compartments at the GF's shoulders opened, revealing what appeared to be cannons.

A loud humming sound echoed through the dead plains as the gigantic robot-like Guardian focused its energy at the weapons mounted over his shoulders. Mere seconds later, several bolts of white light left Alexander's body raining over the undead troops and enveloping the shrieking skeletons with their holy power.

Abadon growled at the sight of its troops decimated and sent a powerful spell at the GF. The huge pristine wings folded in front of the Guardian, forming a protective feathery barrier that efficiently concealed Alexander and its summoner's frames from harm. Once the powerful blast from the magical attack had receded, the white wings extended in all their glory as the Holy Guardian focused its energy again. This time, however, instead of a rain of shinning bolts, a couple of wide, rays were fired enveloping Abadon's body in the bright light.

As the shrilly, painful cry of Abadon boomed through the deserted plains, Alexander's huge body was once more enveloped in the wings before disappearing in a storm of pristine feathers.

"Wow!" muttered Zell still in shock by the Guardian's incredible power display, especially once the dust had settled and the bluish plains were covered with half-melted corpses that littered as far as the eye could see.

"Way to go, Matron!" chirped Selphie bouncing in place and smiling in the older woman's direction.

Edea returned the gesture kindly and bowed slightly.

Squall sheathed his gunblade and walked to the place where Rosie laid still protected by a bluish dome. A low growl made the Commander whirl around in time to see Abadon raising to its feet once more and directing a hateful glare towards their Matron.

The brunet sprinted towards the older woman's position, halting abruptly when the gracious figure emitted a soft light. Blue-grey eyes widened and Squall forgot to breathe as a chill ran down his spine and his body recalled memories of numbing cold and searing pain.

Edea's lithe frame was enveloped by blue sparks before a huge ice lance formed above slender fingers and the Commander couldn't suppress a shiver. The magical lance flew over several Forbiddens' corpses until it reached its intended target. Abadon howled in pain as the ice lance pierced its chest. Edea's deep, violet eyes shined as the Sorceress gestured gracefully and the huge skeleton was quickly enveloped completely by a thick ice layer.

Several magical blasts and powerful gunshots followed the older woman's attack and the monster's frozen body exploded, scattering chilled limbs all over the plains.

Quistis approached the heaving Sorceress quickly. "Matron, are you ok?"

Edea nodded. "I'm just tired, dear." she shook her head and took another ragged breath "I'm afraid I overdid myself this time."

Irvine smirked and folded his arms "Matron, we're the ones here to protect you, remember? Not the other way around."

The older woman smiled "I know… you have all grown up so much –"

" – but we're still your babies." interrupted Selphie grinning. "Annie used to tell me that all the time."

ooo ooo

"Mr. President!" said the white-robed man as he entered the wide, brightly illuminated chamber and saluted the figure sitting across him behind the desk. "We've detected some odd activity in our western frontier." As he spoke, the man handed his superior a small digital screen where several photos were displayed "Seems a group of about 8 people have made it through the Salt Lake and are near one of our holographic controllers."

The President's frown deepened slightly when he detected a familiar symbol in one of the pictures. "It can't be…" he muttered in shock when his green eyes settled on the pendant bearer's face.

"Your orders, sir?" asked the first man saluting again.

The President looked at the young man in the picture again and a small, vague smile formed on his lips. "Allow them the passage, Colonel." He said standing up and returning the screen to the other man "I have to go check Adel's prison, but aid the strangers in all you can while I'm out."

The Colonel saluted "Yes, sir."

ooo ooo

"There's a wall in here!" exclaimed Quistis when slender hands touched a solid surface where only air was supposed to be.

The SeeDs had finally made it to the place where Irvine had detected the anomaly and were impressed by the cowboy's sharpness of vision, for the 'shifting' – as he had described it – was barely visible for normal eyes at a fair distance.

"Whoa! Hey, guys I think I found something!" Zell's shout was replaced by a deep humming sound above the SeeDs' heads and a loud _whoosh_ as – to everyone's utter astonishment – a small ventilation entrance appeared in the middle of the sky.

"Wow!" exclaimed Selphie before a frown formed on her face as she glanced at the opening standing several feet from the floor. "But how are we supposed to get there?"

"We can use Float spells" offered Quistis shrugging.

Squall shifted Rosie's weight on his back and touched the space below the opening, detecting a wide bar "Or we can use the ladder." said the Commander grabbing the steel stairs.

Turning to look at his friends, the brunet nodded "I'll go first. Zell, grab Rosie for me."

"Sure, man." replied the martial artist approaching the Commander and receiving the still limp girl.

"Be careful." warned Edea "We don't know what lies beyond this illusion."

Squall nodded at the older woman and started climbing the stair. Once he reached the top, stormy eyes narrowed as they detected a long, dark corridor. Revolver left its sheath once more while the brunet quickly checked his surroundings.

The Commander frowned when his search for immediate threats resulted unfruitful. He'd expected some kind of confrontation with the Estharian army, after all, they were trespassers and knowing of the eastern country's xenophobic ways, Squall was certain they would have to fight their way inside.

Blue-grey eyes narrowed further as they detected a blinking red dot…. a surveillance camera.

_So they know we're here._

_But they aren't doing anything to prevent it. Why?_

"Hey, Squall!" the Commander folded his arms and looked to the side, annoyed at the martial artist's impatience. "Everything ok, man?"

Sparing another glance at the camera, the brunet's frown deepened. He didn't know what the Estharians were planning but he'd come all this way already and was prepared to face whatever obstacles were ahead of him to achieve his goal.

"Everything's fine." muttered Squall popping his head out of the opening and looking at his comrades some feet below.

"You got us scared for a moment, pal." said the blond sighing in relief at the sight of the grouchy brunet.

A copper eyebrow rose slightly in disbelief "I was gone less than five minutes."

Zell shrugged "So what? This is Esthar we're talking 'bout! ANYTHING could happen!"

Squall rolled his eyes "Whatever" and casting a Float on the limp raven-haired, he pulled Rosie towards him "C'mon, we have to move."

The SeeDs nodded and climbed the stairs. Irvine – who was the last one – blinked twice as his eyes adjusted to the darkened area. The sharpshooter looked at his friends and Matron as they inspected the small chamber. They were standing in a long catwalk surrounded by several well-aligned, transparent hexagonal panels. In the far end of the chamber was a small stair that led to a metallic door.

"Hey, lookie here!" squealed Selphie happily before she tapped a button in a nearby panel. Immediately after, the hexagonal panels lightened, catching the SeeDs' attention.

"Sefie, what have I told ya about touching stuff?" mock-scolded Irvine folding his arms and flashing a smile at the brunette.

"Awww, c'mon guys!" pouted Selphie looking at the options that had displayed on the small touch screen on the panel "I wonder what this will do..." muttered the tiny girl pressing the CAMOUFLAGE option.

The panels shinned again before shifting from their transparent quality to the image of a bright blue sky.

"WHOA!" exclaimed Zell in awe. The martial artist's position shifted with a bounce as he turned to look at his comrades "Hey, I know! They must have this kind of panels lined outside."

"No wonder we couldn't see the city!" said Quistis still glancing at the hologram "Their technology is amazing!"

Squall's eyes narrowed "More a reason to be careful." The brunet's eyes switched from the holographic sky to the door further down the corridor. "C'mon, let's go."

The SeeDs nodded in reply, Selphie and Irvine falling behind of the rest as the tiny brunette exited the test in the control panel, returning the hexagonal panels to their original state. As Squall approached the metallic door, a _whoosh_ was heard and the circular seal in the middle of it opened, allowing the group the entrance. His booted footsteps boomed in the seemingly small hexagonal chamber as Squall walked on the metallic floor.

"What is this place?" asked Quistis frowning and glancing around the darkened room.

As if on cue, the door closed behind Irvine's frame and the SeeDs' hearts gave a somersault when the floor beneath them rocked and started moving to the right.

"Some kind of transportation." said Zell folding his arms "But where?"

Irvine frowned as the platform switched its direction and started going upwards. His hand closed around Selphie's who had unconsciously leaned closer to the cowboy. "I don't know, but I'm sure we'll find soon enough."

"What do you think Esthar is trying to hide?" asked the tiny brunette cocking her head to the side.

Irvine shrugged and the teens' attention focused on Edea, who spoke for the first time since the whole incident started "I'm sure it has something to do with Adel. The wounds she left in this world are deep and not easily forgiven."

Squall shifted Rosie's weight on his back again and looked upwards at the quickly passing darkness. He didn't know what lay beneath this point nor care about the dangers that could possibly be awaiting them.

He only knew that he was not turning back.

Suddenly, the lift came to an abrupt halt and the SeeDs were barely able to keep their balance. Zell frowned as he held Edea's frame from falling "The hell?!" exclaimed the martial artist glancing around. The group waited in the thick silence that had replaced the low humming of the lift for something else to happen.

"Seems we're here." muttered Quistis smirking as no more surprises came after a silent minute.

Squall nodded and took a step backwards, quickly whirling around when another _whoosh_ was heard and a wide door opened before a small catwalk was displayed in order to connect the lift with the small corridor beyond the entrance. The SeeDs spared glances between them and quickly prepared their junctions and weapons before venturing to the unexplored room.

The group walked into another hexagonal platform and Zell muttered something about 'another damn lift' before the darkness around them peeled away revealing a bright blue sky above what had to be the most breath-taking landscape any of them had seen.

Thousands of deep and pale blue buildings were lined in perfect order, some taller than others, creating a beautiful composition of order and movement. Even from the distance, the SeeDs could clearly see the constructions were gigantic, far taller and more beautiful than any other structure in the western world. Transparent roads of different colors snaked through the city, transporting minuscule – in comparison to the structures surrounding the roads – vehicles of strange shapes and color variety.

"What in Hyne's name is this?" muttered Quistis wide-eyed.

"Esthar..." whispered Edea overwhelmed by the beauty of the high-tech city she'd only heard rumors of.

The sounds of the huge metropolis and a good amount of fresh air reached the group as the crystal panels concealing the hexagonal platform they were currently standing on opened and a couple of rails spread at both sides of the lift. The platform moved forwards and the SeeDs were able to see more of the wonderful landscape before the lift rocked and dropped at high speed along a ropeway.

Yelping at the harsh movement, Quistis grabbed Irvine's arm for balance. The cowboy grinned at the blonde, who quickly composed herself and folded her arms "I hate rollercoasters, okay?"

Irvine smiled and offered her his arm again. "You didn't hear me complain, did ya?"

Squall's eyes wandered through his surroundings as the platform traveled quickly through the city's busy streets. A low hum was heard above his head and the Commander was amazed to see some kind of floating device carrying a group of about 4 people traveling inside a long red tube. One of the men sitting on the device raised his eyes from the paper he was reading and looked at the teenagers in awe before his carriage gave a sharp turn to the right and was lost from view.

The SeeDs' transport slowed down as it came inside a huge structure, finally halting on a wide chamber of metal, reminding Squall of some kind of cargo bay. Definitely the room's design was military, quite a sharp contrast to the beautiful crystal structures they'd seen outside.

The Commander left the platform and scanned the room with narrowed eyes. The memory of the security camera he'd detected previously returned to him and the brunet's attention shifted to his comrades "They must know we're here, so we better be prepared in case we find some hosti–" stormy eyes narrowed further as the distinctive heaviness that preceded Ellone's power working on him made the brunet fall to his knees.

_No! Not now, dammit!!_

"Squall?!" Edea's concerned tone and Irvine's heavy and hurried footsteps towards him were the last thing the Commander heard before darkness overcame him.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author's note:_

_Okay, don't kill me! I know this chapter is LATE!! But don't blame me! Blame my school! And the damn final works I had to deliver! Just you can imagine my current state of mind and total frustration, let's say I'm not having summer vacations in the least... so it's a goodbye to the hasty updates I had planned._

_BUMMER!_

_**sigh **__Anyway, life goes on and I'll manage to make the updates as soon as I can. For now, please enjoy the chapter and please forgive the lateness of this once more._

_As always, thanks so much to all of you for the marvelous and encouraging reviews. And don't worry, as I've said before, I'll finish this story even if it takes me another year (that I truthfully hope not!)._

_Lots of hugs and kisses,_

_Celestial Rage_


	62. Chapter 62 Heroes and Lunatics

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 62: Heroes and Lunatics**

By CelestialRage

"Get the skinny one and the fat one to the Lunatic Pandora." growled an estharian soldier at his comrades. His face then turned in Laguna's direction "This one will stay here."

"Yes, sir!" replied the troopers saluting before pushing the prisoners forwards with their shotgun-like weapons.

Laguna looked in dismay as his friends' frames disappeared through the door, all the while wondering why Hyne seemed to hate him so much. Whenever Lady Luck seemed to be on his side, Fate was just around the corner to prove him wrong.

The three galbadians had finally managed to cross the deserted plains separating Esthar's capital from Trabia canyon and were just in the outskirts of the city when they were ambushed and captured by a sentinel group. The galbadians had tried to fight them off, but the numerous soldiers were able to finally subdue them and brought the blindfolded men to wherever they were now.

_So much for sneaking quietly inside Esthar..._

His silent musing was abruptly cut off by a heavy blow on his shoulder. The dark haired man hissed in pain as he turned to look at his captor. "I said get your ass moving!" yelled the soldier in anger. His face turned to the other room's occupants "All of you, get back to work!"

ooo ooo

Irvine kept his silent vigil over the wide entrance.

He and Quistis had moved the unconscious SeeDs beside a nearby group of boxes that kept the defenseless teens out of view. And although their Matron was quite scared by the youngsters sudden collapsing, once the remaining SeeDs had explained her Ellone's hand was behind their current condition, the older woman seemed to relax a little.

His eyes shifted from the warehouse entrance to Selphie's slumbering face and his heart's cadence doubled. Hyne! She looked so cute when she was asleep! With a fond smile, Irvine reflected on how their relationship had developed during the brief months that had passed since their re-encounter back in G Garden.

Although she was still somewhat nervous around him when they were alone, it was nothing like the first times when he could have sworn the brunette would have bolted out of the room if she'd been given the chance.

The cowboy frowned.

To be honest, it had been his fault. He had made Selphie feel uncomfortable in the first place with his wayward attitude, a habit he'd developed through the years. Especially with women.

Irvine soon realized the tiny brunette wasn't one to fall for charming smiles and words like most of his conquests. But more over, he knew Selphie deserved better than all those women he'd seduced throughout his life.

And that was simply because he loved her.

Soon the cowboy realized the feeling had always been there, only he had been too young to find a name for the fluttering that invaded his whole being every time his eyes laid upon his friend. When he'd met her again in the front gate of Galbadia Garden, the fluttering returned – with a good amount of awe and happiness – at the sight of the matured girl, still cheerful as always, but far more beautiful than he remembered.

Irvine didn't know why most people just stuck with the image of Selphie being sunny, innocent and blindly-trusting. That was what first glance brought, yes, but as with anyone else, the brunette's personality had layers. She was strong, independent, sweet and very determined, especially if the issue was of her interest.

Like the Garden Festival.

The cowboy cracked a wide smile and shook his head briefly. Unfortunately for him, the brunette was his great weakness and when she'd asked him if he would like to join the committee, Irvine couldn't do anything else but agree. How could he refuse those big, green, puppy eyes anyway?

Resisting a chuckle, the sharpshooter forced himself to focus on his vigil duty, returning his eyes to the doorway.

ooo ooo

Laguna's stomach complained loudly.

"I'm hungry..." muttered the dark haired man before a heavy blow landed on his shoulder.

"I said no talking!" growled the estharian guard unfazed by the prisoner's glare. "It's only been three days, you wimp! And it would be more if you don't finish your work, so keep going."

Frowning, Laguna rubbed his injured shoulder and returned his gaze to the panel in front of him, barely paying attention to the retreating soldier, who was muttering something about 'his younger days and hard work without sleep'.

"Gee, he's always like that?" asked Laguna to the man at his right.

The other prisoner smirked "Oh, no. This is one of his best days, actually. You should see him when he's in a bad mood." The dark haired man groaned, eliciting a chuckle from his captivity partner.

"Hey, you two!" growled the estharian coming around again. "I said NO talking!"

A loud chime was heard and Laguna promptly jumped to his feet "Okay, feeding time!"

He was immediately struck down by the estharian "Not you two. That's what you get for keeping your babbling." the soldier glanced at a Moomba that was climbing up the railing "No food for you either, beast. Back to work!"

"You can't be serious!" exclaimed the dark haired man standing again and motioning at the small cat-like creature "My work will be finished in 2 or 3 hours, but his won't get done for days!"

The estharian shrugged "Then it seems he won't get fed for a few days. If he wants to eat, he should learn to work faster," the soldier then nodded towards the panel and growled "Now back to work you too."

Laguna grumbled and crouched beside the other man. "I'm sorry for making you lose meal time." whispered the dark haired man, wary of the retreating guard.

The other prisoner shook his head "Nah, don't worry. It's not the first time it's happened and I'm sure it won't be the last one." he held out a hand "I'm Neil, by the way."

"Laguna Loire" replied the galbadian taking the offering "How did ya finish here?"

"Tried to sneak out of Esthar, but I didn't get lucky." replied the man shrugging. "How about you?"

"I tried to sneak into Esthar... though it didn't come out as planned."

Neil's eyes widened in surprise "You're kidding me, right? Why in Hyne's name did you want to come to this hellish place?"

Laguna's reply was lost as hurried, heavy footsteps were suddenly heard and a heaving soldier appeared through the opened door. "We've got problem down below! C'mon!"

The guard unsheathed his axe-shotgun-like weapon and nodded. Stopping briefly next to the remaining prisoners he said "The camera is watching you, so don't try anything stupid, ya hear?"

Laguna and Neil nodded, watching the soldier join his comrade and vanish behind the door. The dark haired man's attention shifted to the small creature as a faint growl reached his ears. The galbadian stood and walked towards the Moomba, who immediately flinched as the man came closer.

"I'm not going to hurt you, little one." said Laguna raising his hands to prove his point. Crouching in front of the feline, he noticed his tired eyes "Hyne, you look exhausted! Are you alright?"

The Moomba growled a couple of times in response.

A dark eyebrow raised in confusion "Your stomach's going _grrr_?"

Neil chuckled and shook his head. "He's saying 'thank you'," Laguna nodded in understanding and pat the little creature's head gaining a light purr from the Moomba. "You know, you're the first one to worry about his well-being." commented Neil folding his arms "These estharians get the Moombas worked to death and only give them half the food and sleep we humans get."

"Why?" asked Laguna frowning. He couldn't fathom a reason for such cruelty. He'd spent some weeks in the Shumi Village and knew the little creatures were harmless and kind despite their looks.

The other man shrugged "No real reason besides they want to."

Suddenly, the platform they were standing on shook violently as a loud sound boomed through the facility.

"What the hell was that?" asked Laguna helping the Moomba to stand up.

"Bah! This iz a failure!"

Ztart the prozedure again!!

Neil smirked and looked in the elevator's direction. "That, my dear friend, is Doctor Odine, Esthar's resident Mad Genius."

"Mad Genius?"

The other man nodded "He is in charge of every single investigation done here in Esthar, including this Lunatic Pandora thing. And whether the experiment involves human lives or not, he really doesn't care about the subjects, only the project."

_I'm liking this place less and less with every passing minute_ - thought Laguna frowning at the little bit of information he got about Odine - _I only hope Ellone has nothing to do with that guy's experiments..._

His train of thought was interrupted as the door to the platform opened again and the guard that had been with them previously came through. "Hey, you!" wheezed the man pointing at Laguna "Get the guards upstairs! Tell them it's an emergency!"

The galbadian nodded quickly "Sure..." and once the soldier disappeared from view, the dark haired man chuckled "... when Hell freezes over, buddy."

ooo ooo

Kiros slid underneath the soldier's outstretched arm, grabbing his wrist and painfully bending it in a way no human limb was supposed to. The estharian released his grip on the strange weapon he carried and the dark skinned man immediately grabbed it, shooting a couple of rounds to an approaching trooper.

Ward swung the heavy steel bar he was carrying, the powerful blow cracked a Gesper's central core, making the machine's arms swing around madly before it finally stood still. A second later, the bulky man whirled around in time to avoid a fiery blast and deliver his attacker an inhumanly strong jab, that send the unfortunate soldier flying across the room.

Ward frowned a little as his gaze switched from his hands to the immobile estharian he'd just punched. He was certain he'd listened to a voice warning him of the danger and the strength he had now... it was something out of league. He'd recognized this condition first when they went into that expedition months ago, but this time, the sense of unknown power running through his veins was way stronger.

He didn't know how that was possible, but he was damn happy for the faeries to show this time around.

Kiros's stolen weapon sliced an estharian's throat in one clean cut before the man jumped with abnormal agility and shot two incoming troopers while still in the air. Another Gesper made its appearance and the dark skinned man avoided its deadly blast barely by inches. Black eyes detected a metallic sphere in one of the corpses lying around and Kiros quickly took it, launching the grenade in the living weapon's direction.

"Fire in the hole!!" yelled Kiros bolting for the security several heavy crates provided. Numerous approaching footsteps were heard and Ward's grip on the steel bar tightened for a second. His eyes settled on the Gesper and the sphere rolling in its direction and before he stopped to think twice, the bar swung, hitting the grenade and the living weapon at the same time. A huge explosion followed, the blast mixing with the agonizing cries of the estharian reinforcements.

"Ward!" called Kiros crawling from beneath the rubble, his eyes frantically searching around for his friend's frame. Soon enough, he detected the bulky man and for his utter shock, Ward was still standing, sporting only minor cuts. He whistled and smiled "You sure are a tough nut to crack, my friend."

The bigger man chuckled and took another of the weird estharian weapons before nodding in the stair's direction. Kiros nodded back "True, we gotta find Laguna. Let's go!"

ooo ooo

The sounds of the battle beneath reached the platform where Neil and Laguna were still standing. The galbadian had tried to open the door leading to the upper floors, but it was electronically locked from the other side. Sighing, the dark-haired man silently hoped his friends were ok.

"You still haven't told me why you wanted to sneak inside this country." said Neil, who was trying to hack their access to the elevator.

"I came to retrieve someone." muttered Laguna absently. His mind drifted to the brunette waiting for him and their surrogate daughter back in Winhill and his heart squeezed tight in his chest. He was so close and still so damn far!

The other prisoner's eyes settled on the galbadian. Definitely this person had to be very important to the man if he'd risked entering the realm of the infamous Sorceress Adel. "And who would that b–?" his words were cut off by a _swoosh_ followed by an unknown voice.

"Laguna!"

"Kiros!" greeted the galbadian smiling in relief as he whirled in the door's direction. His friends entered the small room and smiled back at him before Ward tossed him the other axe-shotgun hybrid weapon he'd retrieved. "Thanks, man." said Laguna checking the weird gun he held before nodding towards the other prisoner. "Guys, this is Neil."

"Pleased to meet." replied the man.

The humming from the elevator being activated made the ex-soldiers immediately jump to battle positions "Seems the pleasantries will have to wait." muttered Kiros, settling dark eyes on the soldiers that entered the room.

Laguna opened fire, injuring a couple of soldiers before taking cover beside the Moomba, behind the panel he and Neil had been previously working on. Meanwhile, Kiros had already made his way into the estharian ranks and moved in a gracious, deathly dance between the bewildered troopers. Ward caught one long Elastoid's extremities and spun it twice before launching it in the soldiers' direction. Laguna quickly aimed at the rolling machine and pulled the trigger, the resulting blast finishing with the estharians lives.

"Jail break time!" yelled the dark-haired man happily, gaining chuckles from his comrades.

Neil stood bewildered. How were these three men able to decimate a group of 15 soldiers that quickly? Their strength, accuracy and speed were definitely something the man had never seen before...

His reverie was interrupted as a calloused hand waved in front of his face, followed by Laguna's concerned voice "Hey, you ok?" Neil snapped back to reality and nodded slowly, making the dark-haired man smile "Okay, then. Let's get the hell outta here!"

The estharian silently followed the other three men and the Moomba inside the lift and resumed the line of thought he'd previously been on. The humming of the elevator was muffled by Laguna's ramblings as he described his comrades his captivity days. The ground beneath them shuddered once before a _ping_ was heard and the doors opened to reveal a small, very well-lit room.

Kiros was the first to exit the lift, retreating almost immediately as a loud stomp and an overly shrill voice startled him.

"No, no, no!!"

"But, doctor..."

"I zaid NO! I vill not vait any longer! Ztart the prozedure again!"

"The hell?" muttered Kiros frowning as he watched a trio of white-long robbed men pressing some buttons on panels located in the other side of the room. Along them, was a small figure of barely above a meter, dressed in an attire that definitely made him resemble a jester.

"That is doctor Odine." said Neil motioning towards the smallest man. Smiling, he tilted his head to the side and added "We don't have to worry about him. He and his assistants normally are so focused in their work, they wouldn't even notice if we started a gunfight right here and now."

Laguna nodded "Well, what are we waitin' for?" the other men nodded and the small group made their way as quickly and quietly as they could to the only door leading to the room. Laguna opened it and was immediately rewarded by the sunlight and breeze he'd been craving for weeks. "Woo-hoo! We're out!!" exclaimed the dark-haired man smiling and jumping down the trio of stairs that separate him from the ground. Closing his eyes, Laguna raised his face, welcoming the golden rays that warmed his skin as he basked into this renewed sense of freedom. Never had the sun seemed brighter nor the air fresher to the young man as they did at that instant.

The Moomba approached Laguna, who promptly set a hand on the fiery red mane. "I bet you're glad too, uh?" the little feline purred in reply and licked the man's hand before dashing off. "Don't get captured again!" yelled Laguna as he watched the Moomba finally running free through the deserted plains.

His gaze switched to his comrades as Kiros whistled and said "So _that_ is Lunatic Pandora." Dark green eyes followed his friend's gaze and Laguna was utterly amazed by the enormous steel prism that stood just behind the building they'd come out from. Esthar's flag was proudly displayed in the center of the gigantic structure that shone as the dying sun's rays bathed its form.

He immediately recognized it as the gigantic structure they'd seen just outside of Trabia's canyon. Their fist impression had been it was nothing more than a portentous monument to Esthar's power and glory, but now that the galbadians had spent time inside the facility... they weren't sure their theory was accurate.

"What does Odine plan to do with that thing?" asked Laguna curiously "It's just too big!"

Neil frowned "Our spy in the doc's lab says it's some kind of weapon Adel ordered Odine to adapt... but I'm still not sure on how the doc is planning to use it."

Dark eyebrows knitted in suspicion as Kiros looked at Neil "Your spy? What do you mean by that?"

The former prisoner smiled. "I'm part of the resistance faction trying to overthrow Adel." He shook his head slightly "I'm sorry for not telling you guys earlier, but it's very difficult to trust people around here. Not to mention foreigners."

Laguna nodded "Don't worry! We understand."

Neil smiled and Kiros folded his arms "How are you planning to overthrow a Sorceress? If half of the rumors I heard inside are true, Adel's power is far beyond imagination."

The estharian nodded "That's the main reason why we haven't made any moves yet. We're numerous but disorganized and although we have plans, they're not fool-proof. A half baked plan would never work on Adel." Neil folded his arms and added "Most of us are specialists in various fields, so having info on the Sorceress or ways to defeat her is not an issue – "

"But?" interrupted Kiros frowning.

"We have no leader." replied Neil shrugging "We've got the brains and power, but still require the heart. Someone who's both passionate and righteous, capable of guiding us to our goal without losing sight of what's important."

"Sounds like you've been having trouble with the last part." said Laguna

The estharian nodded "There are some members that are only focused in destroying Adel without even considering the numerous innocent lives that could be lost in the process. We don't need to replace one dictator with another... that's why I want _you _to be our leader." His eyes settled on Laguna as the last words left his lips.

The galbadian blinked and pointed at himself "Uh? Wha? ME?"

Neil chuckled "Yeah. I saw you with that Moomba and you have more compassion and caring that any other man I'd seen before. Besides, you guys sure are strong! What you did to those soldiers was amazing to say the least!" returning his bright gaze to the dark-haired man, Neil asked "So, what do you think? Will you do it?"

Laguna scratched his head. "Well... I don't know..."

Suddenly, the door to the building they'd been held prisoners opened and the galbadians immediately spun around, raising their weapons to defend themselves.

Neil jumped in front of them, concealing the only man that had come out of the facility behind his tall frame "Whoa! Wait guys! That's our spy inside the doc's lab!"

The galbadians lowered their weapons, but kept a tight vigil on the recently arrived man's movements. The tall, white-robbed man smiled as he came near Neil "Hey, you made quite a bit of noise down there."

"Well, you and the doc were certainly not quiet either." replied the other estharian chuckling "So, what's with Odine now? Has Adel cut his funding again?"

The spy shook his head "Nay, he's throwing a tantrum 'cause the moving system he'd designed for the Lunatic Pandora isn't working as it should. The guy just wants to finish with this project and move onto the one waiting for him back in O-Lab."

"Really?" asked Neil amused.

"And what's exactly waiting for him back there?" asked Kiros frowning. What could be more important to the doctor than the incredibly huge structure Adel was planning to transform into some kind of weapon?

The robbed man shrugged "I really don't know what he's planning to do... but there's this little girl, Ellone-"

"WHAT?!" yelled Laguna in shock. Strong hands gripped the white robe tightly as the dark-haired man glared menacingly at the spy, ignoring Neil's protest at the rough handling of his comrade "Where the hell is she?"

"You know her?" asked the estharian shakily. The murderous look in Laguna's face making a chilled jolt run down his spine.

Kiros snorted "Know her? She's the very reason we're here in the first place."

"Where's Ellone?" repeated Laguna in a low, angry hiss that made his friends smirk. The normally cheerful man sure could be frightening when he was really mad.

"I told ya! She's in O-lab!" replied the spy, whimpering slightly as he detected the faint glow coming from the weapons the galbadian held.

Laguna let go off the man and frowned "How do I get there?"

"You won't be able to enter the building without the doctor's assistance." replied Neil shaking his head as he helped the still shaky spy straighten. "The entrance can only be opened by Odine himself and Hyne knows what other security devices the man has in there!"

"Fine. Then all we have to do is get the doctor down there, right?"

"It won't be as easy as that, my man." replied Neil, making Laguna stop his advance towards the building behind them "You'll need our help. If you weren't informed, this girl you're looking for has been appointed as Adel's successor." the estharian folded his arms "There's no way she's going to let the little one go without a fight."

The spy nodded "True. Think you can face the Sorceress by yourselves?"

"I really don't give a damn." growled Laguna "All I want is to take Elle back home to Raine."

A hand on his shoulder, made the dark-haired man's attention shift to Kiros, who sported a small, sympathetic smile "I know, my friend. But I also think it would be wise to hear these men out. We can't do this alone."

Ward grunted his agreement and Laguna sighed. "Fine. You guys win." dark green eyes shifted to the estharians "So, what do we do now?"

ooo ooo

The door burst open, several heavy footsteps booming through the room as the small, but heavily armed group entered. Startled by the rude interruption, the scientists' nervousness escalated when their eyes fell on the weapons the group carried, the massive anchor held by the tallest and bulkiest of the men made them especially nervous.

"Where's the doc?" asked Neil after his quick check of the room revealed Odine was missing.

The estharian scientist gulped and nodded towards the lift "Subsection 4..."

Neil smiled and turned to look at the galbadians "Kay, guys. You go get Odine." his gaze returned to the white robbed men as he cocked the gun he was holding "I'll keep an eye on these fellows."

Laguna nodded and the three men disappeared behind the lift's doors. The humming of the elevator was quickly replaced by the _ping_ announcing they'd arrived to the desired floor. Surprisingly enough, the so-called 'Subsection 4' was nothing else than the platform Laguna and Neil had been working on.

"Vat a mess..." muttered Odine as he made his way through the scattered bodies. Finally coming to the other side of the room, the doctor huffed as he noticed the state those barbarians had left his precious equipment. A sudden clicking noise caught the man's attention and his heart made a somersault as he spin around and came face to face with the dark, glistening cannon of a machinegun.

"What's up, Doc?" greeted Laguna smirking at the obvious panic in the smaller man's features. They'd just retrieved their gear and he couldn't blame the doctor for being afraid of three armed and dangerous-looking men. "I need your help to get my little girl back."

"Girl? Odine knows no little girls." replied the doctor frowning.

The galbadian's smirk widened "You sure?" as the smaller man nodded, Laguna added "Her name is Ellone."

Odine paled but continued with his act "Vat are you saying? I know no Ellone!" his heart skipped a beat as the cannon pressed against his temple and a deadly glare crossed Laguna's features "Okay! Okay! I know an Ellone!"

The weapon was lowered "See? It wasn't that difficult saying the truth, was it?"

"Bah!" huffed Odine, frowning at Laguna's smile.

The dark-haired man turned to address his bulkiest friend "Ward, would you make us the honor?"

The tallest man nodded, smiling as he grabbed the protesting Odine's collar and placed the man under his armpit. "Vat are you doing?" fumed the doctor squirming "I am the great Odine! You kan't treat me like thiz!"

"You better shut up..." growled Kiros raising one of his katals so it came directly in the smaller man's vision field "... or I'll make you a second bellybutton with this."

Odine gulped, but silenced none the less.

Neil smiled as the lift's door opened to reveal the three galbadians and their prisoner. Nodding in the retreating men's direction, the estharian smiled at the scientists before smashing the controls to the electronic door and sliding outside before the only exit was sealed.

"Bring the doctor in here." said the spy opening the door to a slim, but quite large, aerodynamic-looking vehicle.

"You!" snapped Odine as he stared at the robbed man "You'll pay for thiz! Traitor!"

The estharian rolled his eyes as the smaller frame disappeared inside the car, along with Ward's form. "Yeah, yeah... blah, blah, blah."

ooo ooo

"_Please, insert keycard." _

Laguna frowned as the doctor slid a small, semi-transparent card through the reader. It was the second security device the group had to pass in order to get to Odine's private laboratory.

The ride to the building had been a rather noisy one, with Odine huffing and cursing them all for the rough handling, until Kiros had unsheathed his katal again and with a feral smirk reminded the doctor of his earlier menace. The smaller man had then gulped loudly and stayed still for the rest of the trip.

Being the first time the galbadians had been inside the city, the Estharian technology and beauty of their metropolis had taken them completely by surprise. The roads were made of a transparent material, colored either in red, blue or green. Neil had explained them the classification of the roads given their colour, but the three men were only half-listening, preferring to feast upon the beauty of the structures around them than to hear to facts they could most likely research later.

_"Please, insert retinal verification."_

"Another one?" whined Laguna, childishly folding his arms.

Odine slapped the galbadian's arm, motioning him to get out of the way "Of corse! Odine's experimentz are VERY important!" a small device was revealed and the doctor's face approached it, a colorful laser soon scanning the man's right eye.

"_Retinal sample match."_

_"Welcome, doctor Odine."_

Suddenly, the floor behind the group shuddered slightly and opened. A low humming sound was heard and a floating device resembling a round couch appeared.

"Wow!" exclaimed Laguna approaching the strange gadget and inspecting it thoroughly "So many weird gizmos around here!"

The doctor huffed and muttered something about 'uncivilized barbarians' as he shoved the dark-haired man aside and took a seat. The other men followed his lead and held tight as a bright light enveloped the device before it slowly start moving upwards.

After a dazzling moment in which the device turned around on its own place, the floating 'couch' stopped and Odine stepped out from it. Unsteadily – except for Neil – the men followed his example again. The doctor tapped something on a holographic panel located just beside the door and a second later, this opened with a loud _whoosh._

Laguna bolted inside, expecting to see the little girl, but was greeted by two heavy-armed soldiers, along with several white-robbed scientists who stared at him with wide eyes. The galbadian immediately opened fire, injuring one of the troopers before they could even react. Kiros and Ward entered the room, both guys disposing of the remaining soldier as Neil shoved Odine inside, closing the door behind them.

"Don't move and you won't get hurt." said Laguna pointing at the terrified scientists. Looking back at the doctor, the dark-haired man growled "Where is Ellone?"

Odine pointed at the other side of the room, where a wide window-like pane stood "You can zee for yourself."

Dark green eyes narrowed dangerously at the smaller man before Laguna turned around and approached the window pane. His heart skipped a beat as he detected the familiar, petite form.

"Ellone..." muttered the man in disbelief. His hands beat the glass repeatedly, trying to gain the little girl's attention "Ellone!! ELLONE!!" but there was no response. "Damn! She can't hear me!" cursed Laguna angrily, turning around and stalking towards Odine. Grabbing the doctor's collar, he growled "How do I get down there?"

"Ze con...trolz.." wheezed the smaller man pointing at a wide terminal on the rightmost part of the room.

Kiros immediately closed the distance between his previous spot and the flashy panel. Frowning at the numerous buttons and data displayed on the wide screens, the galbadian turned to look at the doctor "What do I do now?"

"Prezz the red button!"

"This one?"

"No! Zat one!"

"Which one?"

Odine screamed in frustration, squirming to get out of Laguna's hold "Augh!! Releaze me!" the dark-haired man complied, dropping the doctor to the floor. The huffing man stood up and made his way to the control panel all the while muttering about 'moronz' and 'eazy tazkz even a monkey could do'.

Glaring at Kiros, Odine pressed a round, red button in the leftmost part of the panel. "There. Itz open."

Neil nodded towards the door "Go see her. I'll take a look on the doc and his assistants here."

Laguna nodded back and smiled. "Thanks for your help." turning around, the dark-haired man bolted towards the door. Stopping abruptly, Laguna turned to see Neil and added "By the way, count me in your Azel resistance movement."

Kiros rolled his eyes "It's Adel. A-D-E-L!! Learn to speak correctly, Laguna. It's getting embarrassing!"

Neil and Ward chuckled, while the dark-haired man shrugged "Whatever, man! I'm too damn happy to heed details!"

ooo ooo

Ellone hugged herself closer, teary eyes scanning the room that had been her prison for several months.

She was tired of being there!

Her mind returned to the beautiful flower fields that extended along the evergreen plains of Winhill. To the smell of the fresh spring breeze and its careful caress as it racked through Uncle Laguna's long hair as he lifted her up, laughing with abandon. And the smile that always brightened Raine's face as she witnessed their silly games.

_I wanna go home..._ thought Ellone sadly, hiding her teary face behind bent knees. _Why am I here? I have no especial power as they say!_

The several scans the white-robed men had performed on her made a shiver ran down the little girl's spine. They said she was special, that she was to be the heir of a great power and that she'd rule over Esthar once she was old enough.

Then came the other man, doctor Odine... who in Ellone's eyes, resembled more a clown than the important scientist he claimed to be. He did some more tests and then decided to have her in observation all day and night, while she wore a weird-looking headdress that the man said could record the way her brain functioned.

Why he wanted to know how her mind worked was beyond the little girl.

All Ellone knew was she was alone, scared and wanted to go home.

Sighing a little, the girl remembered the fairy tales she'd read with the aid of her Uncle. The one of the boy who had 3 wishes from a genie returned to her mind in a flash. Ellone smiled. If she'd the chance to make a wish right there and then, she knew she wouldn't waste it on toys or candies or any other stuff other kids would.

No.

She would use it to see Raine and Laguna once more.

The typical _whoosh_ the door to her cell made as it opened – a sound she'd come to hate – made the little girl to curl up tighter. Why couldn't they just leave her alone?

"Ellone!"

The familiar voice made her head snap up, teary eyes widening at the sight of the tall, dark-haired man that covered the distance between them in seconds.

"Uncle Laguna!!" squealed the little girl in joy as the galbadian's long arms closed around her small frame in a tight hug. Tears ran down her cheeks again, but this time, the wetness increased and when she tilted her head enough to see her saviour's face, Ellone was stunned when she stared at the teary green eyes of the older man.

"I'm sorry, Elle..." muttered Laguna holding her tightly again in fear she'd vanish. He couldn't believe his little girl was finally safe within his grasp again!

In that instant, the months of travelling sometimes without sleep or food, across unexplored territories were worth it. Every wound, every step was absolutely worth the chance to hold the tiny girl again.

And Laguna knew he'd do it all over once more if it meant returning Ellone back to Winhill, to the awaiting arms of Raine.

"You came to save me, Uncle Laguna. Just like you promised."

The childish voice broke the ex-soldier's reverie and he found himself smiling, despite the tears "Yeah, I said I would, didn't I?" Ellone's arms tightened once more around his neck and he felt her nod in reply. "I'm sorry I took so long, Elle." whispered Laguna, caressing the brunette hair fondly, vowing to make whatever was in his grasp to prevent anyone from hurting Ellone again.

ooo oooooo oooooo ooo

_Author's note:_

_I know, I know... this chapter has taken almost a month again! I'm really sorry for this, but inspiration and time have totally been lacking for this chappie. Don't ask me how I managed to finally finish it. I don't really think I would be able to explain it either._

_Anyway, thanks to all the reviewers! I hadn't have time to reply to your marvelous and encouraging comments, but I promise I'll do it today. Thanks again to my dear Beta and friend for her eternal support and of course, thanks to all of you who keep reading and reviewing this story. You are the ones that keep me going!!_

_Well, have ta go! But I'll be back..._

_Lots of hugs,_

_Celestial Rage_


	63. Chapter 63 Esthar

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 63: Esthar**

By CelestialRage

Stormy eyes appeared from beneath heavy eyelids as Squall finally woke from the forced slumber Ellone's power had submitted him into. The SeeD shook his head to clear his still sleep-muddled mind and was mildly surprised at the moist feeling in the corner of his eyes.

His sympathy towards Laguna increased a bit as the brunet reminded the way Ellone's warm breath caressed his neck and the relief and joy he'd felt as his own at the simple gesture. The galbadian had traveled across the globe to find the little girl, defying every obstacle in his path to get a loved one back.

What made him different from the other man then?

He was on a similar quest, after all.

Squall sat up and glanced around, detecting Rosie's frame resting beside Selphie. The Commander couldn't help but notice the oddity of both, his and Laguna's journeys apparently coming to an end in the eastern lands of the Estharian continent.

"Welcome back." greeted a grinning Irvine as he detected the brunet's moving frame.

The Commander frowned when he noticed they were still inside the hangar. Given the fact they'd sneaked inside a potentially hostile territory, Squall had half-expected to wake up inside a cell. "How long were we out?"

The cowboy shrugged "Believe it or not, around half an hour. Seems the dream was quite short this time, uh?"

Squall nodded in reply, rising from his position on the floor. A loud yawn at his left indicated the blond brawler was once more in the world of the living, Selphie following close.

"Morning, sunshine." said Irvine smiling fondly as he offered the brunette a hand. Taking it with a grin of her own, the tiny SeeD jumped to her feet, dragging the cowboy into a tight embrace. "Whoa! What is this all of a sudden?"

Selphie shrugged, widening her smile as she looked at the grinning man in her hold "I'm just SO happy that Sir Laguna rescued Sis!"

"That's what you saw?" asked Quistis curiously glancing at Squall as he lifted Rosie from her resting place.

The Commander nodded. "He finally did it."

_Against all odds... he succeded._

Stormy eyes narrowed in determination. He knew he would be able to emulate the galbadian... Hell! If a moron like Laguna was able to save Ellone, then everything was possible!

A loud humming made the SeeDs' attention shift to the entrance of the warehouse. All weapons were immediately readied as the huge, steeled, double door opened wide to grant access to an approaching vehicle. The humming grew louder as the long and slender device whirled around to face the teens, finally dying down as the vehicle landed with a loud _whoosh. _A lateral door opened like a blossoming flower and a tall, white-robed figure climbed down.

The oddly-clad man scanned the group and bowed his head. "Welcome to Esthar." smiling at the still tense SeeDs, he continued "I am Alexander Vaugham, Minister of Foreign Affairs. It's been quite a while since we had any visitors, so the President personally sent me to greet you."

Squall nodded in both understanding and greeting and the weapons rested. "I'm Squall Leonhart, Commander of Balamb Garden."

"Per protocol, I must ask you the reason for your visit."

"I came to see Doctor Odine." said Edea, moving near the brunet. "I need to consult him."

The Minister's eyes widened "Sorceress Edea?" when the woman nodded, the diplomat frowned. Despite the fact the face was the same, he had a hard time picturing the fragile-looking woman in front of him as the cruel leader of Galbadia she was rumored to be. Especially now that she had replaced the exotic clothing with the simple dark dress she wore.

"Are these SeeDs your escort?" ventured Vaugham motioning at the small group, his eyes lingering for a second on the slumbering girl their leader carried.

"Yes."

The Minister nodded. If the SeeDs were taking care of the Sorceress, then he had little to fear. "Very well, then we shall go to the Palace so you may rest. I'm sure your trip was a very tiring one." He said, hinting at the unconscious girl.

"All I want is to see Ellone" replied Squall in a low voice.

Vaugham raised an eyebrow in surprise "Ellone?"

"That's another reason for our visit." said Edea as she settled a hand on the Commander's shoulder, hoping to calm the brunet's anxiousness down. Her eyes switched to the limp form in Squall's arms. "She may be able to help with this child's ailment."

The Minister glanced at the girl again, seeing nothing odd about her condition. She seemed to be simply sleeping, thus his suggestion of getting the SeeDs proper accomodations for them to rest.

Vaugham shook his head slightly, tearing his eyes from the raven-haired "I'm afraid Ellone is currently unavailable."

"SAY WHAT?!" exclaimed Zell, with a high-pitched voice. The martial artist pouted "Man, all this trouble for nothing!"

Squall's grip on Rosie tightened as despair overcame him.

_No, she's got to be here!_

Vaugham smiled, making the blue-grey eyes narrow. "Don't worry. I am sure we can arrange a meeting with her." The Minister motioned vaguely towards the vehicle "Come with me, please. I'll get you to the Presidential Palace. Doctor Odine is currently staying there, so you'll be able to talk with him and then rest properly."

"Wow!!" exclaimed Selphie bouncing on one of the seats as she glanced around the interior of the slim-looking vehicle. "It's SO spacious!!"

The Minister laughed again, sitting at the driver's position in the front of the car. "Yes, my lady. Our floatation technology allows our vehicles to be faster and lighter than those that still run on gasoline, making the engines smaller and giving us more space for the passengers."

"Did you say faster?" asked the tiny brunette kneeling on the seat to look at the hollographic controls settled in front of Vaugham. Emerald eyes brightened as a wide smile spread through her pretty face "Just _how_ faster?"

The other SeeDs – minus Irvine, who was grinning like a fool – gulped.

ooo ooo

Jade eyes settled on the parting waters, a smirk showing on the man's handsome features as he watched the gargantuan monolith emerge from its submarine tomb. The midday's sunlight showered the steel surface, making it shimmer like a polished sword.

Seifer's smirk widened when his gaze fell upon the Estharian flag proudly embroidered in the otherwise plain monolith.

"Extraction complete, sir Almasy!" said a soldier standing behind the Knight and saluting to his superior.

"Excellent." The blond's attention shifted from the dripping structure to the galbadian's frame "Order the troops to gather inside the Pandora. We'll leave by sunset."

"Yes, sir!" replied the trooper, sparing another quick salute before he turned around and hurriedly left the Knight's premises.

Seifer's eyes returned to the huge monolith.

It had taken the galbadians 5 days to finally infiltrate and extract the former Estharian weapon from its almost two-decade long confinement in the Centran Sea's bottom. However, each minute's effort was worth it now that the blond witnessed the magnificence of the impressive structure.

Besides, it had been his Sorceress wish to have this artifact retrieved from its long slumber. Seifer's eyes closed as the images from his last encounter with the powerful soul played for his mind's eye.

Her hand had been warm as it caressed his coarse skin. _"My lovely, loyal Knight, Seifer... the Sorceress lives." _Her breath caressed his cheek as she drew closer to his ear and he couldn't help but notice the difference in the voice that adressed him. It seemed younger than Edea's. _"The Sorceress demands."_

_Your wish is my command, my Sorceress._

He could sense her smile, though his eyelids remained closed in exhaustion for the blood loss he'd suffered from his duel against Squall _"Find the legendary Lunatic Pandora said to be hidden beneath the warm waters of the Centra. Place the Lunar Crystal concealed within over Tear's Point and unleash apocalypse over Esthar's lands." _ A boundless warmth coursed through his entire being and he immediately recognized it as the healing magic of the Sorceress holding onto him.

All pain and tiredness left him as the powerful energy filled him, closing his injuries and restoring his strength. Jade eyes finally opened and slowly focused on the figure looming over him. Raven hair framed the face from where two golden orbs stared back at him.

_Kid._

Jade eyes widened as the notion of the Sorceress inhabitating her intended vessel slowly became clearer in his mind. Tearing his gaze off the younger face, Seifer frowned in utter confusion as he found himself still laying in Garden's auditorium instead of the time-compressed world he'd envisioned in his dreams. His eyes returned to the girl holding him and his already confused state increased when green met familiar golden instead of the raven-haired's brown gaze.

Undoubtedly, the Sorceress's spirit resided within the cadet's body...

But that would mean his Sorceress had achieved her goal!

What had failed then?

"_Worry not, my Knight._"Came the quiet voice of the timeless woman, making his attention focus on the raven-haired again. _"Do my biding, for I will take care of the rest."_

The blond sat up slowly, his typical smirk showing. His Sorceress's spirit residing inside Kid would definitely be a very interesting surprise for Squall and the other kiddies. It was a shame he wouldn't be there to see their reactions!

The woman's voice was heard again, and although her words were just above a whisper, their meaning cut deeply within the young man's soul. The Knight bowed his head, ready to take his leave.

"As you wish, Ultimecia."

Jade eyes blinked as the alarm sounded, returning the blond to the present. He watched as the soldiers under his command readied their supplies and equipment for their trip towards Esthar.

His gut clenched and he couldn't supress a shiver as the last words from his Sorceress echoed in his mind.

"_Find the Pandora, for only then shall the Sorceress provide you with dreams again."_

Dreams he'd had since childhood and only now under Ultimecia were fullfilled.

Dreams he desperately needed...

... for they were all he had left.

ooo ooo

"Ultra WOW!" chirped Selphie, who was practically squashed against the vehicle's window.

The SeeDs and Sorceress were completely speechless at the immense beauty of the buildings surrounding them. Their first glance of the magnificent city had only been but a tiny apperitive for the feast their eyes were enjoying now as they rode through the bright, serpentine road.

Hundreds of pristine skyscrappers of different heights and shapes surrounded the highway that seemed made of the same bluish semi-transparent material as the structures around it. Above them were other roads of red and green hues that crossed the city in a seemingly endless zigzagging fashion. Several vehicles similar to the one they were riding on ran along the highways, along with some pedestrians who seemed unbothered with the transit.

"How many people live here?" asked Quistis in awe, blue eyes still settled in the fleeting landscape.

Vaugham smiled "Around 50 million people, lady."

Irvine's eyes widened "50 million? That's more than the entire population of Galbadia!"

The Minister chuckled "Well, Esthar is a very big metropolis. And since there have been no wars since Adel's rule finished 17 years ago, we've prospered. There are, of course, some riots around, but nothing mayor."

"Riots?" asked Zell raising a golden eyebrow.

"Yes. Adel sympathisers that are against our President and the current administration." Vaugham shook his head "I can't understand those people, thinking that we were better off with that maniacal Sorceress's lead."

"Why are they against the President?" asked Quistis with a frown.

The Minister shrugged "Because of nothing in particular. They are just fanatics. You see, Esthar has been ruled by many Sorceress through history and some people still hold the belief that Hyne descendants have a natural right to rule among ordinary men, not mattering how mad or evil they are."

Edea stiffened in her seat next to Irvine, the cowboy held their Matron's hand and kissed it lightly, offering the older woman a reasurring smile.

Selphie decided to change the topic "Why did you close the boarders?"

Vaugham frowned "Well, after Adel's rule ended we had many repairs to do and wounds to heal. Elections were held and we soon had to face another problem: our future as a nation. The war between our country and Galbadia was slowly coming to an end and many members of the council thought we would be better off sealing our boarders to protect ourselves from the hate Adel's slaughters had provoked in the other countries." The Minister's hands maneouvered the weird-looking controls with practiced ease as he made the vehicle take a sharp turn, the movement surprisingly going unnoticed by the passengers "The President was against it, but the council finally had their way and Esthar was sealed from the rest of the world. Still, we have several informers in the outer lands, mostly in FH."

"Really?" asked Zell

The diplomat nodded "Most of the citizens are from Esthar."

"That's why they're so skilled with machinery!" exclaimed Selphie smiling.

Squall's eyes left the passing buildings, settling on the Minister's back "Is that how you knew about the galbadian army going after Ellone?"

Vaugham's eyes locked with the brunet's cold ones in the rearview mirror. "That's right. When Dobe's message reached the President, he immediately ordered a small fleet to bring the girl safely here."

"Why?" asked the Commander frowning. Why was the President of this country interested in Ellone's safety? Or was it her power he wanted as well?

The Minister smiled "Oh, it's a long story. And I'm sure one the President would like to relate himself." His gesture widened as the vehicle took another turn and a gigantic structure came into view "Ah! We're finally here."

"Oh, Hyne!" muttered Quistis in awe as her eyes settled on the pristine building in front of them.

"Welcome to the Presidential Palace."

Squall was stunned. This indeed was a palace! He couldn't help but compare the magnificent structure of cristalline, bluish walls and delicate shapes of immense size to the Presidential Residence in Galbadia, the latter's esplendor being completely outshinned by the Estharian one's beauty.

"Holy Hyne on a stick!" exclaimed Zell, glancing at the building with wide eyes, "And I thought our Garden was big!"

The vehicle entered a wide area, surrounded by several armored guards like the ones the SeeDs had seen in the strange dreams Ellone had sent them. Vaugham drove through the heavy secured yard and expertly made the car turn around in place before finally landing. The lateral doors opened immediately and the SeeDs exited the vehicle.

Squall held Rosie, shifting his gaze from the city's beautiful skyline to the raven-haired's face. How he wished she was awake to see the marvelous buildings of exotic shapes surrounding them! The brunet could almost picture her smiling widely as she and Selphie talked excitedly about the wonders of the estharian metropoli.

His thoughts were interrupted by Vaugham's voice "This way, if you may."

The SeeDs followed the Minister to a device very similar to the one they'd seen in the latest Laguna's dream. Taking a seat on the round couch-like transport, the group was amazed as the device took flight (or so it seemed), leading them to what seemed a small parking lot. The diplomat stepped out and smiled as the SeeDs and Sorceress followed his lead between excited exclamations on the unknown technology.

Vaugham stopped at an ornate door that instantly opened as the man approached. "Please, make yourselves comfortable." said the Minister motioning the small group inside.

Squall scanned the hallway they were at, his eyes widening in surprise as they settled on an oil-painted picture adorning the wall above the door his comrades had gone through. It was a landscape he was familiar with, though he'd never been there.

It was Winhill.

The painting portrayed the main street of the small town. Flower fields and trees lined the dirt road, highlighting the crimson roofs of the simple houses scattered among the way.

Squall frowned.

Why was a picture of the galbadian town in here?

"Is something wrong, Commander?" asked Vaugham, interrupting the SeeD's reverie again.

The brunet tore his eyes from the picture and settled them on the Minister's face. Shaking his head slightly, Squall decided to keep his questions about the oddity of the situation for later. Craddling Rosie's frame better in his arms as he entered the waiting room, the SeeD reminded himself there were more pressing matters to take care of.

"If you excuse me, I'll go retrieve doctor Odine." said Vaugham bowing a little.

As the man left the room, Squall carefully settled his cargo on a nearby couch. His comrades were already sitting on the luxurious sofas among the chamber, their chatter filling the space with excited words about their journey through the city.

Few minutes later, the door opened and the Minister stepped inside, followed by a smaller form. The Commander's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the recently arrived man.

Doctor Odine had remained almost faithful to his vision through Laguna's eyes, the only differences the SeeD could make out were the strands of grey in his once jet-black hair and the several age lines around his eyes and lips.

"Zo, the Sorceress haz come to zee Odine?" asked the doctor with an overly smug smile. Edea stood up from her seat and nodded. "I zee. Vat have you come seeking?"

"I want to be freed of my powers." replied the dark-clad woman. In the few following minutes, Edea related the events surrounding her decision: Ultimecia's control over her body and the evil deeds she'd performed under the other Sorceress's puppetry.

Odine blinked in surprise. What an incredible tale! A Sorceress from the far future sending her conscience to the present time in order to cause ruckus was certainly something one didn't see every day.

"That is why I wish to have my powers suppressed permanently." said Edea finishing her story.

The doctor grinned "Zat will be eazy! We'll juzt exorcise the Sorceress from the body."

"That's all?" asked Zell raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

Odine huffed "Of course it'z not that zimple! But there'z nothing Odine cannot do."

Squall frowned.

_Exorcise the Sorceress?_

_Would the doctor be able to do that on Rosie too? _

Stormy eyes settled on the slumbering girl as his frown deepened. But what if she wasn't a Sorceress? What if Ultimecia was fooling them? Could the procedure endanger her life? Shaking his head a little, the brunet decided he better wait until the so-called exorcism Edea will undergo had finished. Meanwhile, he would stick to the original plan: bring Rosie to Ellone, so she could help him get the raven-haired back.

Besides, if Rosie happened to be a Sorceress, he knew where to find the doctor.

"You still wish to see Ellone?" again, the Commander's train of thought was interrupted by the Minister. At the brunet's subsecuent nod, Vaugham smiled "Very well then. There's a facility southeast of here where we shall prepare the launch."

"Lauch?" asked Squall

The diplomat nodded before motioning to Rosie "I'm afraid your friend will have to be delivered there first so the doctor can prepare her for travel."

The Commander growled in frustration "Could you please explain what you mean? I don't understand a damn thing."

Odine's shrilly voice interrupted their conversation "Ellone iz in the Lunar Station." The doctor moved closer to the couch where the raven-haired was resting "You'll need to travel to zpace if you wizh to meet her." Tiny eyes scanned the girl's face throughly before widening as the man smiled "I can't believe ziz! Zo ziz is vat happenz..."

"What are you babbling about?" asked Squall glaring at the excited Odine.

The doctor spun around "I vill prepare the girl for travel, but I wizh to examine her condition firzt."

The Commander's frown deepened as his mind presented him images of Odine prodding Rosie with weird-looking instruments, while having her connected to all kind of sensors.

Irvine's heavy hand landed on the brunet's shoulder. "Remember the man's a genious, Squall." His tone lowered a bit as he added "That's one of the reasons we came all the way here."

Squall's frustrated growl was heard again as a gloved hand made its way through copper hair. The cowboy was right. If anyone was capable of discovering whatever it was that ailed Rosie, that was Odine.

But that didn't mean the Commander had to like her being examined like a strange bug.

"Fine." replied the brunet finally. His cold glare settled on the doctor again, the ice in his stare hardening as he added "But I'll kill you if anything happens to her."

Odine shrugged, trying to seem unafected by the youth's glare, though it had certainly made him nervous "Nothing vill happen. But if you don't truzt Odine's word, you can come with uz."

Vaugham smiled. By the simple statement, he could tell the doctor was indeed scared of the SeeD's threat. Normally, Odine didn't allow anyone – aside from his assistants and the subject of his experiment – to enter the laboratory.

Edea smiled reassuringly at the brunet. "Everything will come out fine, my dear. You'll see."

Squall didn't reply, but the older woman's overly gentle smile managed to soothe his worries a little.

The Minister turned to look at the other 4 members of the small group. "Well, shall I give you a tour of our fair city while the arrangements are made?"

Selphie smiled broadly as she stepped in front of her friends, her emerald eyes shinning with excitement "Can I drive the car this time?"

Vaugham's eyes settled on the other 3 SeeDs, whose heads were shaking in a clear 'No!!' The Minister barely stiffled a chuckle and said "I'll see what I can do."

ooo ooo

A loud humming sound made the Mayor's head turn from his wife's face to the opened window. The fresh ocean breeze entered the room, carrying with it the scent of salt and sea food.

Standing from his resting place, the old man approached the window to gaze outside from the vantage point his house's second floor provided. Dark eyes narrowed in concentration as Dobe tried to remember where he'd heard that particular humming that resembled an overzised fan.

However, before he could make up his mind between the several images invading his brain, the sound's source appeared over the huge Solar Panel's structure. Dark eyes widened in surprise as the Mayor watched the approaching pristine form shinning like a diamond under the summer sun.

Slowly and with a grace fitting the beautiful facility, Trabia Garden descended upon FH.

ooo ooo

"And this is the market." said Vaugham proudly as he watched the SeeDs scan the wide area in complete awe.

"But, where are the shops?" asked Selphie looking confused at the several monitors embedded to the crystaline walls and gaining the attention of several locals that were currently using the terminals.

Truth be told, the small SeeD group couldn't pass unseen as their attires totally clashed with the ones wore by the estharian population. Just as the Minister, the residents also were attired with long, white robes decorated with some touches of color on the neck and wrists, as well as on the high, cylindrical hats and hoods they wore.

Vaugham approached a terminal, motioning to the teens to approach. As soon as his hand touched the screen, this flickered back to life and displayed Esthar's flag briefly before a wide menu appeared before the SeeD's widened eyes.

"These are the shops." explained the Minister touching a wide button labeled 'Kate's Book Shop', the menu immediately changed, displaying instead a greeting, followed by the shop's inventory. "You can select whatever item you want from here, check the prize, their stock, etc. Once you have selected your desired purchase, you only have to give your adress and ID number. That way the merchandise reaches your house and you pay for it once it arrives."

"And what other stuff do they sell?" asked Zell, glancing around.

Vaugham smiled "Anything."

"Teddybears?" asked Selphie, gaining a nod from the Minister, who had stepped back so Zell could explore the shops by himself "How about massive weaponry?"

Vaugham blinked in confusion and returned his whole attention to the brunette "I beg your pardon?"

"Yeah, do they sell weapons?" asked the tiny SeeD smiling brightly.

The diplomat nodded slowly, still in shock by the seemingly innocent girl's tastes. With that cute face of hers and her cheery attitude, it was easy to forget she was a trained mercenary "Y-yeah, there are some shops that sell and customise weapons. Mostly for collectors, though."

"Let's go check 'em out, Irvy!" exclaimed Selphie grinning and clutching the cowboy's arm before dragging him to another terminal.

Quistis chuckled and shook her head slightly "Sorry, she gets excited with ease." said the blonde turning her attention to the still amazed Minister.

Vaugham laughed too "Don't worry, lady. It's good to see young people in your line of work having fun for a change."

Whatever the ex-instructor was about to reply, was lost as Selphie's overly loud voice was heard "Hey! I think I've already found my birthday present!"

ooo ooo

Narrowed blue-grey eyes settled on the familiar dark-clad form as the Sorceress stepped into a large, circular device. Beeping sounds and sharp orders from Odine reached his ears from behind the restricting glass standing between him and the small laboratory.

Squall folded his arms and leaned against the wall, keeping his tight watch over Edea as the doctor's assistants moved through the room, adjusting the machines around as Odine commanded.

"This iz only a zcanning prozedure." stated the smaller man as they moved through several hallways of the huge Presidential Palace. "It will tell uz the current ztate of your powers."

Edea nodded slightly and Squall could clearly see the tension leaving her slim frame. Stormy eyes turned to the floating stretcher-like device carrying Rosie along with them. "What will you do with her?" asked the SeeD without looking away.

Odine shrugged "Odine haz a theory on her condition, but vill need to run zome teztz on her before saying anyzing elze."

A loud humming sound returned the brunet's mind to the present, the image of his Matron's smiling face immediately replaced with her form being surrounded by a bright, blue hue that moved slowly downwards from its position at the Sorceress's head. The glowing circle reached the woman's feet and made its way back to its original point, finally disappearing as it got to the top.

"Scanning complete, doctor." announced one of the assistants sitting in front of a wide monitor.

Odine shoved the man aside and looked at the data displayed. His eyes narrowed and a hand reached up to rub his chin as he scrolled down the results. "Ziz iz very interezting indeed."

Edea's wary expression made Squall's unease to increase. The SeeD opened the door and stepped inside the lab, quieting the cientists' protests with a dangerous glare. He was tempted for a second to point out he'd been polite enough to wait outside until this point, but instead the brunet decided to focus on the reason for his Matron's nervousness.

"What is it? Is she alright?" asked Squall watching at the unknown data over the doctor's frame.

Odine motioned Edea to step down the device and waited until the woman was near them to clear his throat and finally say. "You hold the powerz of a Sorceress no more."

Blinking away her stunned state, Edea said "B-but I thought you only performed a scan on me. How did – ?"

The doctor interrupted her "Odine did nothing elze." shaking his head and making his small ponytail sway with the motion, he added "The only explanation iz zat you were no more a Sorceress _before_ arriving here."

Squall's eyes shifted to the comatose girl's frame.

_So... it's true._

ooo ooo

"I'm glad you finally joined us, dear." said Cid as he motioned the only other person in the room to take a seat.

The young woman complied and gracefully tossed long, brunette hair over her shoulder before smiling at the Headmaster. "Me too, sir. I must admit the journey seemed quite longer than it really is."

Cid nodded "Any eventualities?"

"None, thank Hyne." replied Ana handing a folder to the older man. "As per your request, we've stocked the Garden's lower levels with all the provisions required for our intended journey east."

"Excellent." replied the Headmaster giving a brief check to the lists the brunette had handed him. Shifting his gaze from the papers to Ana's face, he added "Seems we are ready for departure."

Her smile widened "So the techs have finished?"

Cid nodded "They ran a test on Garden's new floating system this morning. I have to tell you, dear, those men are pure genious."

"What about the White ship?" asked Ana glancing out of the Headmaster's office window to the pier far below.

"Dobe said they finished as well." said the older man following the woman's gaze. "Two days ago, actually."

A fine eyebrow raised in surprise "Two days ago? Why haven't they left already?"

"I asked Noah the same yesterday's afternoon." Cid smiled and returned his eyes to the young Headmistress, understanding the woman's surpise at the White SeeDs' permanence in FH. They hardly stayed in one place for long and their dislike of strangers – even other SeeDs – was well-known. "He said he wanted to help us out."

Olive eyes widened "Really? That is certainly something new."

The older man nodded "He is really grateful with Squall for aiding them back in Centra and wants to return the favor."

"And how are his SeeDs taking it?"

"They want to help out too." the Headmaster rose from his seat and walked to the windowpane, losing his gaze in the far eastern horizon. "Guess they'd slowly come to understand that we have to stand together as SeeDs, especially now that we are about to face a terrible danger."

Ana frowned "True.." olive green eyes settled on the bright, summer sky and a small smile graced her lips "... but we can hold hope for the future."

Cid turned his head to look at the seated woman, her smile widening as she looked at the Headmaster "We are more numerous now. And more bonded too." The brunette shrugged "You know what they say: United we are far stronger than standing on our own."

Her eyes narrowed in determination "And this time, Galbadia is going to face the true wrath of SeeD."

ooo ooo

The door to the waiting room opened and Squall turned his head to look at the entering teenagers, who were still chatting about the wonders they'd just seen.

"Squall, man! You missed all the fun!" said Zell dropping on the nearest couch. Selphie sat next to him, ignoring Irvine and the cowboy's words about 'not enough cash to purchase the missile launcher she wanted'.

Quistis approached the brunet "How are Matron and Rosie doing?"

"Fine." replied Squall returning his gaze to the stretcher and the limp form resting on it. "Matron is resting right now. The doctor wanted to do the 'exorcise' proceedure on Rosie, but I refused."

"You WHAT?" asked Zell jumping from his seat.

"But why?" Quistis asked frowning. "That was the purpose of coming all the way here, wasn't it?"

"What if she never wakes up?" growled Squall, interrupting the woman's words. "Who knows what will happen if I let Odine remove her powers? She might die for all I know!" his voice had gained volume and the brunet stopped to take a deep breath in hopes of settling himself.

"We won't know unless we try." replied the blonde woman in a low voice. "You know that as well as we do."

Squall shook his head and deviated his gaze to the floor "I'm not going to risk it." after a silent minute, he added "I rather stick with the original plan. I'll take her to Ellone."

Irvine's eyes shifted from Selphie to the Commander "I understand. And I will help you in whatever I can, Squall."

The brunet nodded in both acknowledge and thanks to the cowboy, his eyes then shifting to the blond martial artist "You seem to be forgetting a small detail." said Zell folding his arms "Sis happens to be in space... as well as Adel."

Selphie's unusual frown appeared "That's right... Rosie is going to unseal her, remember?"

Squall folded his arms "I know. But we can prevent it from happening."

Quistis sighed "I know how you feel, Squall..." the blonde seemed to argue with herself for a couple of minutes before finally saying "... and I'll help you too."

The Commander's icy stare locked with the blonde's deep blue one. He knew what she was thinking: he was ready to unleash a plague upon the world without a second thought just to get Rosie back.

The truth was, Squall _had_ thought about it already. He had questioned himself long ago about going on with this mad quest, knowing the consequences of his actions could bring demise over the whole world.

_So be it._

_Rosie's life will be my sin._

_... but I can live with that._

"Seems we're all up for a round trip to outter space then, uh?" asked Zell smiling faintly.

"Well I hope you are." said a familiar voice just before the door opened to reveal their smiling Matron, escorted by the Minister. Vaugham grinned "Because the transport to the Lunar Gate facility is ready to go."

ooo ooo

"Seems you lost again, pal!" exclaimed Zone grinning widely as he retrieved his pouting opponent's cards from the board.

"There goes my last Shiva card!" whinned Watts slouching and looking at the thinner deck in his hands.

The elder teen smiled wider and shook his new additions in the other room occupant's direction "Look, Rin! I have 3 more rare cards!"

The raven-haired hummed her acknowledge, her dark gaze never leaving the wide, glistening ocean waters. This time, however, her mind did not rest on her SeeD friends or the Gardens' new destination, but on the old days when the most dangerous situation she'd ever faced was getting the President's train car's photos for the plan they'd deviced to kidnap him.

And on that occasion, she only had to sneak inside her father's private study late at night and open some files on his computer.

_Ever since I met them, my life has turned more complicated._

Rinoa couldn't help the small smirk at the thought. True, she had encountered more dangers in the last 3 months than in her whole 17 years, but she wouldn't change them for the world.

The experience with the SeeDs had helped her mature and realise the only pink thing about the world was her room. People were not as good or loyal as she'd thought they would be. Nations were not as just or concerned about their citizens as they should be.

Nor was she the saviour she'd pretended to be.

At least, not yet.

Her resistance faction had been so puny and bad organized compared with the SeeDs, Rinoa was surprised none of her friends had gotten killed or imprisoned in their small efforts to liberate Timber. Now that she'd experienced numerous battles under Squall's command, the raven-haired clearly saw what the brunet had pointed to her months ago, what she'd refused to see in her naïveness.

But not anymore.

"When this war is over..." her voice made the two other Owls to interrupt their new game and settle their whole attention on her. Rinoa's eyes left the dark ocean waters and settled on her friends. "... we'll go back to Timber. We still have to liberate it, remember?" finished the raven-haired with a smile.

Zone nodded "I've always remembered it, lovely."

Rinoa's smile widened "We'll have to run more funds for the cause, though."

Watts frowned "Why? I thought we still had Mr- Squall's team."

"True." the raven haired-shrugged "But SeeDs are expensive. And we'll need a lot more than just 4 of them to help us out."

"Well, we can always sell Zone's porn collection to raise money." said Watts, gaining a chuckle from Rinoa and a deep frown, followed by a 'Hey!' from his other friend.

ooo ooo

"Minister Vaugham, welcome." greeted a smiling young woman attired in a brown blouse and short dark blue skirt. Her gaze shifted to the small group accompaning the diplomat and her polite smile widened "Please, come this way. Doctor Marius has been expecting you." she said before leading the SeeDs to the back of the bunker-like facility.

The SeeDs and their Matron had arrived via a small aircraft – to Selphie's utter delight – and were now inside the so-called Lunar Gate. The building was impressive: massive in size, beautiful in decoration and curious in design. The three sets of triple, long tubes that arched towards the sky were, especially, a detail that immediately caught the teens' attention.

A final door opened with a low _whoosh_ and the SeeDs entered a wide, tall room with several devices of which a large yellow tube and a giant screen were the most prominent ones.

Their guide stopped and called a blonde figure standing on the opposite corner of the chamber "Doctor, the Minister and the passengers have finally arrived."

The man turned and smiled "Thanks, Elise." He pressed a sequence on the panel he was previously examining and finally walked towards the awaiting group. "Good evening. I'm Doctor Robert Marius." scanning the small gathering, the blond spotted the floating stretcher "I suppose this is the special passenger doctor Odine told me about."

Vaugham nodded. "Is everything ready for transport?"

The doctor grinned "Sure, Minister." His gaze turned to the SeeDs "You'll have to excuse the delay, but our President and his crew have just used this premises a couple of hours ago and we don't have many pods left." Marius shook his head and said "Anyway, who of you are accompaning the lady?"

"Me." said Squall taking a step forward.

The blond nodded "Well, let me explain the process then." Gesturing to the large, yellow tube in the center of the room, Marius added "This tube connects with the sets of blue ones I'm sure you noticed in the outside of the building." After the SeeDs nodded, he continued "Inside are the capsules we use to send civilian personel to the Lunar Base. Since the human body is not designed to make such a trip, we have developed what we call 'cold sleep'."

"What's that?" asked Zell frowning at the name.

Marius smiled "It's basically a process in which we submit the passengers into a suspended animation that protect their mind and body from damage." The doctor frowned "You're SeeDs, right?" at the nodded answer, the blond's smile returned "Well, think about it as summoning a very tough Protect and Sleep spells at the same time."

"Is there a possibility of the process failing?" asked Edea eyeing the tube.

The doctor shook his head "As any procedure, it has its innate risks. But I assure you, ma'am, there hasn't been a single incident since we started this program. We are very meticulous with every launch." His eyes followed Edea's and settled on the loading device "In any event, if you happen to come out of the cold sleep, there's a security system that will make the capsule's speed reduce to levels your body can survive and sends a S.O.S. signal to the Base so a rescue team can retrieve your pod."

"What happens after the cold sleep?" asked Squall folding his arms.

Marius motioned to the tube "Your capsule will automatically be loaded into the booster. The guys in the control room make the calculations for the trip and after all is settled, we launch." The blond smiled and turned to look at the brunet "You just sit back and relax. Once you're in space, the staff on the Lunar Base will handle your landing."

The Commander nodded. "Fine. Let's do it."

A small device beeped and the doctor apologized before taking a small, round device out of his lab coat's pocket. "I'm being informed that another capsule has just finished undergoing our checkup. Meaning there's room for another passenger..." his eyes returned to the small group "... anyone else that wants to go?"

"I will." said Irvine adjusting his hat. Blue eyes settled on the brunet "If you don't mind, of course."

Squall shook his head. "Not at all."

"Irvy..." the cowboy's attention shifted to the petite SeeD that had finally approached him from her position next to Quistis. "If you're doing this because I've been bad to you, then–"

The sharpshooter smiled, placing a finger on her lips to silence her. "Nah, Sefie. I'm not doing it in petty revenge, I know you weren't serious." Dragging the brunette into a hug, Irvine whispered into her ear "I'm doing it because I know what it is to love someone enough to go to the Moon and back for her." his arms tightened just a little bit and his normally confident voice broke a little bit "I... I'd do the same for you, Selph."

Selphie blushed deeply, stunned for a second at the cowboy's quiet declaration of love.

One only meant for her to hear.

_No one else, but me._

A wide, fond smile spread through her features at the thought and the brunette felt her heart take flight. Closing her eyes, the petite SeeD nuzzled against the taller man's chest as she tightened her initally hesitant hold on him, basking in the warmth of her beloved cowboy.

Finally gathering the courage to break the loving embrace, Selphie stood on her tiptoes and held an accusatory finger in front of Irvine's eyes "Ok, but you better come back or I swear I'll buy that missile launcher with the Garden Festival's funds and go up there for you myself, understood Kinneas?"

The cowboy chuckled "Yes, ma'am."

His laughter died down as the tiny brunette lift herself further, cupping his face and kissing his cheek before whispering "Take care, kay?"

Quistis smiled fondly as she watched the small, quiet exchange between her friends, the wide, fool grin on Irvine's face let the ex-instructor get quite a good idea of the topic of their conversation. The blonde was quite happy the two teens were finally together and it was about time, in her opinion.

"Uhm, guys... sorry to interrupt, but we are running on a tight schedule." muttered Marius smiling at the pair, his gesture widening at the mumbled 'sorry' from the cowboy and blush from the brunette.

"Have a safe trip, my children." said Edea nodding towards Squall and Irvine, who had finally joined the Commander in the front of the transportation tube. "And don't worry about us."

"Yeah, you leave it all to me, Squall!" exclaimed Zell patting his chest "I'll take care of Matron."

The brunet frowned. Quistis seemed a more reliable choice for a squad leader... but the martial artist had proved himself worthy time and again during their journey and Squall had to admit the blond had done a very good job in their battle against Galbadia Garden...

_I'll give the guy a chance, he's earned it._

The Commander nodded "I know."

Zell's mouth hung ajar. His ears had to be betraying him! "R-really?!" when the brunet nodded again, the martial artist couldn't contain himself. "YEAHH!! ALRIGHT, BABY!!"

Irvine grinned at the blond's antics and leaned closer to the Commander "You sure you don't want to reconsider that?"

ooo ooo

The door to the wide, well-lit room opened with a low _whoosh_, making the tall, bulky figure's attention shift from the distant Moon's outline that was slightly visible in the early afternoon's sky to the uniformed man saluting him a couple of feet away.

"Minister Zabac, I'm sorry to interrupt you, sir, but I think you should take a look at this." the soldier extended his superior a circular screen displaying various data.

The man's brow knitted further as he scrolled down the touch screen. Finally, the Minister spoke, his voice filling the room with its thick and electronic tone "Have you verified this info?"

The soldier nodded "Twice already, sir."

"Call all units available. We must be prepared."

"Right away, sir." saluting again, the soldier hurried out of the room. The door closed after the trooper's frame, leaving the Minister alone once more.

His eyes shifted again to the screen and the ominous information it displayed. His frown deepened as he read the data once more, searching for some miscalculation or any other mistake that could assure him what was looming just outside of the city's borders was not what it appeared to be.

However, and despite his efforts and hope, the man couldn't find anything to soothe his mind. Dark blue eyes tore from the screen and returned to the once calming horizon, now tainted by his knowledge on the threatening presence just beyond the mountain range.

He didn't know how it was even possible, but a shadow of the past was quickly approaching Esthar.

Lunatic Pandora was returning home.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author's note:_

_Hey, everyone! I'm back!! _

_Sorry for being so late... again :S But bear with me, please! I haven't slept in over 48 hours as I write this lines thanks to a school project. The chappie was finished since last week, but only got to my dear Beta yesterday (yeah, that's just HOW busy I've been)._

_Anyway! As always, thanks to all the reviewers! You are the ones that keep this poor author going :D_

_I hope you like this chapter! We're one step closer to the moment where everything will change! I'm developing some ideas that have been going in my head for quite a while now and I promise the next chapters will be full of surprises :D_

_I'm still not telling though. _

_I have a "Meanie" rep to keep, remember? XD_

_Well, gotta go! To sleep, blessed, blessed sleep... hopefully for at least half a day._

_I'll see you guys soon!_

_Lots of hugs and kisses,_

_Celestial Rage_


	64. Chapter 64 Pandora's Box

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 64: Pandora's Box**

By CelestialRage

A deafening boom echoed through the estharian plains as the three capsules were launched into space. Within seconds, the white, comet-like lights had vanished into the late afternoon's deep orange and blue hues, the faint trail of grey smoke left in their wake becoming the sole evidence of their existence.

Zell, Selphie, Quistis, Edea and the Minister watched the impressive event from the grounds surrounding the Lunar Gate at Marius's suggestion.

"You'll enjoy it more there." had said the scientist smiling at the group as he entered the lift that would lead him to the launch control room "It will be a great view, trust me." He added with a wink as the doors closed.

Now, several minutes after the group had left the doctor, their three friends had disappeared into the vastness of space, on a journey that still seemed both impossible and amazing to the young SeeDs.

Zell sighed "Man, I hope everything goes well."

Surprisingly, the tiny brunette standing at his left smiled and chirped in her usual cheery way "They'll be fine! Irvy will look after them both."

Quistis and Edea smiled softly in response. The older woman placed a hand on the martial artist's shoulder and said "Remember they are in very capable hands, my child."

Vaugham nodded "That is true. Doctor Marius would have never agreed to launch the capsules if there had been any anomalies, so you don't have to worry. Their trip will be very smooth and quick." The Minister smiled and motioned to the small aircraft they'd used to reach the Lunar Gate "I'm sure you'll want to rest now. Shall we return to the Presidential Palace then?"

Zell nodded, smiling faintly as his body reminded him he could really use a good night's sleep. The SeeDs followed Vaugham to their transport, Selphie falling behind as her emerald eyes lingered on the capsule's smoky wake. A warm hand landed on her shoulder, making the brunette tear her gaze from the spot where the capsules had disappeared and focus it on her Matron's face and the small, reassuring smile she offered her.

"Let us pray for their safe return, dear." whispered the older woman in a peaceful, soothing tone only a mother is able to muster.

Selphie nodded, smiling in return as she glanced back at the sky once more before turning around and entering the aircraft.

ooo ooo

"Arrival time: minus 15 minutes, sir." announced a blue-clad soldier.

The blond Knight smirked "Navigation?"

"We'll cut directly through the city and reach Tear's Point within the hour, sir." replied the same trooper tapping the panel in front of him.

Seifer's jade eyes narrowed as he focused on the map displayed on the huge screen in front of him. He had to admit Esthar's metropoli was far more impressive than he'd ever thought it could be. Analyzing the light blue structures that extended as far as the eye could see like some odd kind of cybernetic crops and the zoomed camera showed via the screen, the blond could tell that the population easily doubled or even tripled the galbadians' initial calculus… and he assumed, so did their weapons.

His trademark smirk returned.

Numbers didn't matter, not with the Pandora and its destructive power at their service.

His smirk widened. Soon it will all be wiped out thanks to the same cataclysm that had destroyed the Centra ages ago... and _he_ will be the one to bring destruction upon the land. Such was his Sorceress wish and – on his Knight's honor – he would fulfill it!

Green eyes never left the screen as he softly called the woman standing just beside him. "Fujin..." when she came closer, the blond added "... call all units into battle positions. Let's give the estharian troops something to entertain themselves with."

The albino frowned.

Why did Seifer want to waste the lives of tens, if not hundreds of their men when the Pandora could efficiently conceal all the galbadians inside and repel the attack of the eastern soldiers thanks to the shielding system they'd discovered?

"Problem, Fu?" his voice startled her out of her brief reverie and her heart skipped a beat when her crimson gaze suddenly locked with Seifer's narrowed jade one.

The white-haired woman shook her head slowly.

She'd never lied to the blond, but they say there's always a first time for everything…

Cold bitterness invaded her heart as she finally managed a hoarse "NEGATIVE" before turning around and making her way out of the bridge.

The Knight tore his eyes from the slim blue-clad figure and refocused them on the screen, not even noticing his friend's worried expression as she stole a last glance at him before the doors closed.

ooo ooo

"Excuse me, Minister..." the pilot's voice interrupted the conversation taking place on the aircraft's back. The chatter died at once as the SeeDs detected the worried edge in the man's voice.

Vaugham hit the intercom "Yes, Wilkins?"

The diplomat's frown deepened when the pilot's voice was heard again "Sorry to interrupt, sir, but you should come to the cockpit right away."

The SeeDs exchanged looks and the Minister nodded, silently allowing them to join him. The small group made their way to the cabin and once the doors opened, their eyes were immediately drawn to the huge grey structure looming over the city's skyline.

"What is THAT?!" asked Selphie wide-eyed.

"That, lady, is why I called on the Minister." replied the pilot frowning before turning to the diplomat. "I just received the Defense Department communicado, seems Minister Zabac has ordered a full alert state. The troops are already on the move as we speak."

Vaugham's frown deepened when his eyes settled on Esthar's emblem proudly displayed over the gigantic structure's surface. Incredulous, the Minister shook his head slightly "I can't believe it's here... I thought we had gotten rid of it a long time ago."

"What?" asked Quistis tearing her gaze from the alien monolith to the older man's face "You mean you _know_ what that thing is?"

The Minister sighed "I'm afraid I do. That, my dear, is Esthar's darkest secret. A project Sorceress Adel made Odine develop in order to help on her world domination campaign." Vaugham's eyes settled on the ominous structure, his lips felt dry as he spoke a name he never thought he'd use again "Lunatic Pandora."

"You mean THAT..." said Zell pointing at the huge structure "... is a weapon of some sort?"

Vaugham nodded. "I don't know the details, but from the rumors I heard back then, its power is something unique."

"You said you had gotten rid of it a long time ago..." muttered Edea, gaining another nod from the Minister. "Then who – ?"

"Galbadia." spat Zell angrily, interrupting his Matron's words as realization hit. "Who else is crazy enough to invade Esthar?"

"We have to stop them!" exclaimed Selphie frowning.

"But how?" replied Zell folding his arms. If what the Minister said was true, who knew what kind of menace they'd be facing here... Baby blue eyes widened "Wait! I know!" exclaimed the blond with a bounce, suddenly realizing there was one that could actually help them "We can ask Odine! He was the one that made that Panorra thing in the first place, right?"

"It's 'Pandora', Zell." corrected Quistis with a smile "And I think that's the best choice we have right now." she turned to look at the older man and asked "Minister, do you know where we can find the doctor now?"

Vaugham took a minute to think and finally replied "Well, he's most likely to have returned to O-lab. Don't worry, we'll get you there."

The aircraft sped up, making the normally half-an-hour trip back to the metropoli in just 12 minutes. The SeeDs' eyes narrowed further as the huge monolith's frame grew in the horizon as they got closer to the heart of Esthar's capitol.

"This is bad..." muttered the pilot as the characteristic sounds of heavy gunfire finally reached their position. The fight inside the city had started and for the look of it, the estharians were having trouble containing the galbadian attack.

Purple and blue lasers were fired at the Pandora only to be deflected by the yellowish energy field surrounding the structure, leaving its surface completely unscathed. Infantry had been deployed, the numerous blue and silver-clad soldiers battled the flashy-uniformed estharians in a fiery combat that, so far, seemed to be developing in the invaders' favor.

"Shit! Hold onto something!" yelled the pilot suddenly. The small aircraft made a sharp spin, the SeeDs barely able to keep their footing. "Sons of a bitch! That sure was a close one!" exclaimed the man following the missile that had almost hit them collide with a nearby building, the subsequent blast making the vehicle shudder.

"Is the doc's lab very far?" asked Zell, helping the Minister to his feet.

Vaugham shook his head. "Not really. It's straight ahead down this road."

"Well, then drop us here," said the martial artist nodding. "We'll get to the lab on foot. It's too dangerous for you to fly over there."

"What about Matron?" asked Selphie frowning "We can't have her come with us. It's a war zone out there!"

"I'll be alright, dear," replied the older woman with a smile. "I can go with the Minister – "

"No." snapped Zell in a stern voice that took the other SeeDs completely by surprise."I promised Squall that I'd keep you safe, Matron. Just stay close to us, I won't let anything happen to you."

Edea nodded slightly, her smile widening a little at the blond's determined tone "Very well, then."

Vaugham watched the exchange and turned to the pilot "Wilkins, you heard the man. Let's deliver our SeeD cargo safely."

"Roger that, sir," replied the pilot smirking "Hold on to your chocobos, guys. The trip might be rough."

ooo ooo

"Zabac!" the door to the war office slammed open and a tall, slender man stormed in. Attired in the typical estharian white robes and a much adorned headdress, the man stopped in front of the National Defense Minister, totally unbothered by the other diplomat's powerful built. "What the hell is going on? I've received reports that Lunatic Pandora is being controlled by the galbadians!"

"I'm afraid you have been informed well, Counselor Hardin." replied the Minister in his trademark electronic voice.

"And?!" demanded the smaller man with a deep frown "What is your office doing to solve our current problem? And where the HELL is the President?! He's the one that should be going over this whole operation!"

Blonde eyebrows knitted in annoyance, still the Minister managed to keep his composure "As you might know already, the President is currently in the Lunar Base."

Hardin huffed "What a surprise! The man is never around when he's needed." a smug smirk formed on the man's lips as he added "For the best, I guess. I'm sure if he were the one to plan our defense, Esthar would be completely destroyed by sundown."

A big fist slammed the table, startling all the presents. Zabac's electronic voice acquired a lower tone, while his whole expression darkened in a threatening way. "You better stop right there, Counselor." his eyes narrowed further "And get out of this office. If you're not here to help, you have no reason to be here whatsoever."

Hardin frowned, but his angered expression faltered as the Minister stood from his seat, his threatening stance towering over his own frame "Very well, Minister. But the Council wants to be promptly informed of the situation." his case stated, the man turned around and walked calmly out of the room in an attempt to keep his dignity.

Zabac sighed and shook his head, tearing his gaze from the closing door to the diagrams scattered in front of him. If a galbadian invasion wasn't enough of a problem, he had to deal with the Council too...

How he wished his friends were back! They were certainly best dealing with the annoying congressmen than him.

ooo ooo

"Doctor, I think we better go to a shelter – "

"Pff! Uzeless! Ziz city iz not ze target."

The door to the laboratory Zell and Selphie had seen in the latest 'Laguna dream' opened with a loud _whoosh_, the martial artist immediately walking near the astonished doctor.

"Why do you think the city is not the target?" demanded the blond, straightening as much as possible so his relatively short height towered over the smaller man. "What the HELL is that thing?!"

Odine huffed again, walking around the martial artist and towards the flashing panel in the northern part of the room. "Becauze, they are headed for Tear's Point..." the doctor pressed a brief sequence and the center of the room flickered for a second before a map of the continent was displayed. "Zee?" asked the older man pointing at the info accompanying the diagram.

"I don't understand that shit!" protested Zell folding his arms "All I know is Galbadia is making one hell of a mess in the city and we gotta stop that thing right now!"

"What is this Lunatic Pandora, doctor?" asked Edea walking beside the martial artist.

Odine grinned proudly "Zat iz one of Odine's very important projectz... before the President had us dizpose of it..."

"Yeah, yeah, very important. Bla, bla." interrupted Zell frowning "Cut it short, will ya?"

The doctor huffed annoyed "How impazient! Fine then. Lunatic Pandora is a vezel for the Crystal Pillar we found in Centra 40 yearz ago."

"Oh, now everything makes sense!" said Selphie sarcastically once Odine said nothing else.

Quistis frowned, folding her arms across her chest "Ok, doctor, we need you to be a _little_ more specific. What is this Crystal Pillar you're talking about?"

"Who underztandz you?" complained Odine mockingly "Firzt you tell Odine to be brief and now you vant to hear more?"

"Just tell us!" snapped Zell and Selphie in unison, both SeeDs taking a couple of threatening steps towards the older man.

The doctor gulped, raising his hands in surrender "Okay, okay!" tapping another button, a three dimensional, holographic image of the Lunatic Pandora appeared just above the estharian region map. "Vat you zee now is juzt the caze Adel wanted Odine to develop zo the Lunatic Pandora vaz able to navigate around the globe. Az you can zee, it vas a succez." his proud smile died down when the SeeDs' frowns deepened. Odine tapped another button and the metallic plates immediately separated, uncovering the core of the gigantic structure: a glowing, pale blue crystal with several multicolored tunnels coursing through its frame.

Selphie and Quistis's eyes widened, both girls exchanging a look "Isn't that..?" ventured the tiny SeeD

The blonde nodded "The strange structure Laguna and his comrades were exploring."

Odine frowned, huffing again "As buzybody az alvayz" muttered the doctor before discarding the issue and clearing his throat loudly to regain the SeeDs' attention "Ziz iz ze Crystal Pillar itself. According to our reportz, it vaz the cauze of the Centran cataclysm 200 yearz ago."

"What?!" exclaimed Edea wide-eyed. "This is what destroyed the Centra?"

Odine nodded "It vaz conzidered an object of divine power and vorzhiped az one until itz true nature vaz revealed." The older man tapped another button and the Pandora's image vanished before the map zoomed out to a full view of the world. "There are zertain pointz in the planet's zurface zat have a concentrated amount of energy. One of them iz here, in the outzkirtz of Esthar city."

"Tear's Point." said Zell frowning.

The doctor nodded "Ezactly." then tapped another buttons and another 3 points appeared on top of the map: one in the center of the Trabian continent, several miles east of the northern Garden. A second was over the canyons between Deling City and Timber, while the third was located in the southern waters surrounding the Centra continent.

"Zis are other energy points. Az you can zee, one of them iz located in the center of vat once vaz the Centra continent." Odine tapped another button and the small islands merged, forming a large mass of land "200 years ago, ziz vaz the vay the Centra looked. But after the cataclysm, the continent and its civilization were destroyed."

"What was this cataclysm, doctor?" asked Quistis still looking at the screen.

Odine shrugged "The Lunar Cry."

ooo ooo

"Capsules incoming, sir." announced a technician looking at the screen in front of him.

The smile on the President's face was hidden behind the reflective visor of his helmet. He had been about to go onto his main reason for being in the Lunar Base when he was summoned to the bridge. Dark green eyes settled on the three capsules, his smile widening as he remembered the words he'd exchanged with Ellone barely a couple of hours ago.

Words that had rocked his world and given him a new reason for living.

"I'll start the recovery process, sir."

The President's only reply was to nod absentmindedly, still focused on the capsules' trajectory. His eyes narrowed when he detected the reddish hue coming from the Moon. It had increased over the last 3 hours… and something told him it wasn't supposed to do that. "Does anyone have an idea why the Moon looks so red now? It's kind of spooky."

The tech shrugged "I wouldn't know for sure, sir. You should talk to doctor Piet about it." His fingers flew over the keyboard "Alpha team has been deployed for the recovery. Shall I place troops on standby, sir?"

The President shook his head, the smile returning to his lips "I have a feeling that won't be necessary."

"Right." said the tech smirking "Yellow alert implemented."

"Gee! You always do that!" replied the President folding his arms in annoyance.

The other man turned on his seat and smiled "I'm sorry, sir. But you know what Advisor Seagul would say about that. The policy he implemented on your gut feelings is quite specific."

The President sighed loudly, knowing very well what the technician was saying. He wasn't allowed to leave Esthar's security to his hunches… again. He shook his head, dismissing his thoughts and turned around "Yeah, well, whatever! I'll go check out Adel's tomb. Take care of everything else, would you?"

The tech nodded, following the other man's tall frame as he walked out of the room before turning on his seat and returning his gaze to the monitor.

ooo ooo

"Lunar Cry?!" exclaimed the SeeDs in unison, their fearful gazes completely opposite to the scientist's smiling face.

Odine nodded "Zat vould be very interezting to obzerve!"

The SeeDs and former Sorceress, however, didn't agree with the doctor. Although the Lunar Cry was a rare phenomenon, its destructiveness was legendary, not only due to the collision's effect on the planet's surface, but also because it carried a plague of monsters upon the world.

Selphie frowned. She had seen the effects of the last Lunar Cry on one of the expeditions she had gone to as a cadet and, although 50 years had passed since the catastrophic event, the crater it had left on the outskirts of the Trabian continent was still there to remind people of its incredible power.

"We have to stop that thing, guys!" said the tiny SeeD turning to look at her friends "I've seen what the last Lunar Cry did and if it happens here –"

"The whole city will be wiped out." finished Quistis in a low voice. She knew what the brunette spoke about. She'd also seen the crater when Xu and herself went to the Trabian coast in order to deliver the arriving SeeDs back to Garden. The hole was humongous…

"Okay, doc!" said Zell turning once more to the shorter man "Tell us how to stop that thing. NOW!"

Odine shook his head, sighing inaudibly. Seemed no one shared his hunger for knowledge anymore… but once he saw the blond's threatening frown, he decided to cooperate. "Fine," said the scientist tapping the panel again, making the world map to zoom on Esthar once more "Here iz the estharian region… and here…" a small 3D image of the monolith appeared on the western outskirts of the city "… iz the Pandora's location. According to Odine's calculus, Lunatic Pandora iz expected to fly over the zity."

A red arrow appeared over the map, showing the galbadian's course. "It vill take 20 minutes to croz the zity. And the only vay to stop it, is going inside."

"How?" asked Quistis frowning "It has some kind of barrier around it… not even lasers are able to pierce it!"

The doctor zoomed the lower part of the Pandora's structure, where some kind of threshold could be seen "Zis is one of the 3 portz Lunatic Pandora has for entrance. They are not entirely protected by the forze field generated by the Crystal Pillar. Odine iz zure you vill find a vay to make your vay in." he finished with a smirk.

Selphie beamed. Now he was talking her language "Yeah! Blow it to smithereens!!"

ooo ooo

Ellone looked at the vastness of space through the solid glass that separated her from the dark vacuum. Her eyes settled on the Moon and its increasing crimson hue. She had to admit that even if the spectacle was unsettling, it held certain kind of beauty too.

An alarm sounded, catching the dark-haired girl's attention.

She tilted her head when the brief sound receded and couldn't help but wonder who would be the ones arriving at the Lunar Base. As far as she knew, all the personal were already on board…

ooo ooo

Things had gone from bad to worse as the SeeDs made their way through the city. The fighting along the skyways had increased and there were lasers and missiles blowing up everywhere. Corpses and mobile weapons from both armies lied scattered through the place, giving the once light blue road a sickening crimson hue.

And what was worse: the Pandora's huge frame was already halfway through the city…

The SeeDs had barely had time to take in their surroundings after exiting the doctor's lab, when the characteristic blast from one of the galbadian GIM52A's small missiles boomed very near to their position, forcing the group to move or risk being an easy target.

Truthful to his word, Zell had kept Edea safe at his side, he and his other 2 friends disposing of anyone who dared to attack their Matron. And although, the older woman was not defenseless, they preferred her not to use the remnants of Hyne's power still within her.

On their way to the Lunar Gate, she had explained them the way Sorceress powers worked: the bearer's emotions being the ones that specified the intensity of the spell. The stronger the feeling, the more powerful the resulting magic would be. Its type and speed could also vary depending on what the Sorceress would be feeling... that was why inexperienced Sorceresses were extremely dangerous.

Edea hadn't missed the look on Squall's face at that bit of information. She knew of the Commander's concern about the comatose girl, one that had reflected on the stormy orbs although his general expression hadn't changed a bit from his normally stone-faced one.

The former Sorceress's train of thought was sharply interrupted when Zell shoved her aside, casting a Protect spell over both of them to repel a GIM attack. Quistis's subsequent Thundaga spell hit the machine's head, making it stumble backwards while Selphie finished the job with her recently acquired rocket launcher.

"Woo-hoo!!" cheered the tiny brunette bouncing in place. She couldn't believe she got the rocked launcher she wanted Irvine to buy for her! And for free!!

"Good move, Selph!" conceded the martial artist nodding and gaining a huge grin from the girl. "You ok, Matron?" asked the blond helping the older woman stand.

Edea nodded "Thanks, Zell."

"C'mon, we're getting close!" urged Quistis looking at the small GPS she was carrying.

Odine had given them the device, after informing them of the points where they would be more likely to be able to board the Pandora. One of them lied just ahead of their current position: right in the heart of the shopping district.

ooo ooo

"_Alpha team Fox here."_ came the electronic voice through the sound system at the Lunar Gate's bridge.

"Come in, Fox." replied the lead technician flickering a button.

"_We have the capsules on sight.__ Current position, 10 meters."_

"Roger that, Fox. Deploying Arachne system," the tech said as he typed something on the holographic keyboard in front of him.

Outside the base, several devices set up three green net-like lines that ran right in the capsules' expected course. The incoming capsules' momentum decreased as they collided with the electronic nets lined in succession until they halted completely. A group of astronauts approached the now immobile containers, loading them on some kind of flying machines.

"_Capsules retrieved. Alpha team returning to the base."_

"Copy that, Fox." replied the tech, pressing a sequence of buttons "Hangar ready. Make the delivery."

ooo ooo

"Watch out!!"

The warning came just in time. The SeeDs cast equally powerful shields around their small group, while Edea's hands raised, using her telekinetic powers to deviate the incoming missiles. The galbadian weapons missed their intended targets and returned to their source, making the soldiers abandon their posts in panic or die enveloped by the huge blast.

Zell turned to look at the estharian trooper who had warned them of the danger and nodded in thanks.

The soldier dismissed it with a slight gesture of his hand "You should go find some place to hide…" his eyes scanned the oddly-clad group, immediately recognizing them as the special foreign guests he'd heard about. The rumor of outsiders visiting the country spread like wildfire among the city as it had been almost 18 years since Esthar received any visitors. "I think you guys would be better off in the Presidential Residence. It's the safest place in the city –"

Quistis shook her head "We need to stop the Pandora."

"How? If you haven't noticed, lady, there is a force field protecting that thing!"

Zell smiled and folded his arms "Trust me, we've got a plan."

ooo ooo

Squall's eyes opened and he immediately inhaled sharply, feeling his lungs constrict due to the sudden awakening and his whole body feeling a little itchy. He heard a loud _whoosh_ as steam escaped the corner of the capsule a second before the tightly compressed lid opened, leaving the brunet's body free from its confines.

His frame immediately floated away from the capsule and into a wide chamber of tall, orange walls. His attention was attracted by a loud thud, followed by a curse coming from the tall cowboy behind him. Irvine emerged from one of the several holes lined across the east wall, each one the appropriate size to shelter the space capsules. The sharpshooter had removed his trademark hat and was rubbing his temple, the motion stopping once he settled his gaze in the otherwise empty room.

"_I'm sorry for the rude awakening." _reverberated a voice through the room. _"I'll engage the gravity generator, so please hold on a second."_

Squall's eyes scanned the room, quickly locating Rosie's limp floating form. He took a little impulse, using the wall behind him to propel himself towards her. His hand closed around hers and he pulled the girl close, cradling her as he felt the first gentle tug of gravity. Both SeeDs started their descent, the pull downwards getting steadily stronger as they neared the floor, until it finally resembled the force of Earth's own.

The door to the room opened with a _whoosh_ and a blond man clad in a lab coat walked in, followed by a couple of armed men. "Welcome to the Lunar Base," greeted the scientist smiling "I'm Doctor Charles Piet, I'm in charge of this facility."

The brunet nodded in greeting "Squall Leonhart, Commander of Balamb Garden."

"Irvine Kinneas, SeeD extraordinaire," said the cowboy with a grin.

Squall shifted Rosie's weight enough so he could reach his coat's left pocket, producing a letter Vaugham had given him before departing "Here's an introductory letter from the Minister of Foreign Affairs," said the SeeD handing it to the doctor.

Piet read the paper calmly before his eyes settled on Squall's cargo "… this must be the patient."

Blue –grey eyes settled on the raven-haired's face "Rossane Bennett…"

"I see," muttered the doctor with a nod. "Follow me, please. We'll get her to the med lab and then I'll guide you to where Miss Ellone is." The blond motioned the SeeDs forward "I apologize for the rude reception, but our security is on high alert due to the President's presence."

Squall nodded, not really bothered by the armed men.

"We understand." replied Irvine, figuring the doctor might take the Commander's silence as a negative sign. People tended to misunderstand Squall's gestures most of the time and the least the SeeDs needed right now was to be in bad terms with their hosts, especially since they wouldn't be able to return home without the estharians' help.

Piet smiled "This way, please."

ooo ooo

"GO!" yelled Zell motioning his three companions to move. The martial artist gave the estharian soldiers a thumbs up, before following the women. The local troops resumed their attack on the galbadian lower ranks, covering the SeeDs' travel along the commercial district with their weapons.

The trained mercenaries' magic sizzled through the enemy lines as they moved as quick and swiftly as possible towards the Pandora's huge frame. Zell moved with a cat's agility, kicking, punching and throwing his opponents as though they were nothing but mere rag dolls. Selphie and Quistis took care of the metallic dragons, both SeeDs using the same trick the brunette had implemented against Elvoret months ago. Their Thundaga spells joined in a deadly symphony of electricity, complementing Quetzacoatl's own storm.

The galbadian troops stationed in the SeeDs' path scattered like autumn leaves caught in the wind, some of them consumed by Ifrit's flames who had been summoned by Zell to protect Edea's wake.

The small group finally reached the Lunatic Pandora, both Guardians staying behind them, working as sentinels for the SeeDs. A laser beam flew towards the gigantic monolith, only to connect with the force field. Edea's magic formed a powerful barrier around her and the youngsters, efficiently deflecting the attack.

"This is getting nasty," muttered Zell frowning while stealing a glance back at the all-out battle unfolding on the estharian streets. His attention focused on the brunette standing at his far left "Selphie, get us inside."

"With pleasure!" chirped the girl with a grin as she lifted the heavy-looking rocket launcher. A couple of seconds later, a missile left the weapon, making its sizzling way towards one of the ports of the Pandora. Selphie's enthusiastic remark was lost in the following blast, her frame and those of her friends vanishing inside the grey smoky cloud the collision had incited.

ooo ooo

Golden eyebrows knitted as the alarm snapped, the annoyingly shrilly sound echoing through the bridge.

"Sir Almasy!" called a galbadian tech, whirling on his chair to look at the Knight "Port #2 has been breached, sir!"

The blond frowned deeper.

"Visual," he ordered, folding his arms. He didn't know how the enemy had managed to get inside their defenses, but certainly the estharian soldiers had little to do with the accomplishment…

His suspicions were corroborated as the smoke from the explosion cleared a little, exposing the four invaders to jade eyes. "It's them," muttered Seifer, smirking. Who would have thought he would find Squall and the kiddies this soon? After the SeeDs' victory in Centra, the Knight had expected to have at least conquered Esthar before the pesky teens would move to the eastern country.

The Knight's sudden chuckle startled the soldiers in the room, who exchanged nervous glances, wondering whether their leader had finally lost his mind…

"Uhm… sir… shall I deploy our forces?" ventured a trooper.

To their utter astonishment, the blond shook his head. "No. Squall is not with them… it would be a waste to use them on Chicken-wuss and his group," he finished with a smirk. Turning to look at one of the techs, the blond ordered "Engage the Pandora's defense system to take care of the trash."

"Aye, aye, sir!" retorted the trooper saluting before whirling in his seat and typing furiously the directives into the native estharian weapon.

ooo ooo

"Welcome to Lunatic Pandora, ladies," said Zell with a wry smile as baby-blue eyes scanned their surroundings. They had just climbed a flight of stairs and were now standing at a very wide chamber where three elevators stood.

"Uhm… where shall we go now?" asked Selphie turning to look at her friends. "I have a feeling about #3," finished the brunette with a grin.

"And I vote for #2," replied the martial artist.

Both teens turned to look at Quistis, who just shrugged. "You are the leader, Zell. You should decide."

"Aww! You kill all the fun, Quisty!" pouted the tiny SeeD, folding her arms.

A blonde eyebrow raised "You're not settling this on a 'rock, paper and scissors' game, Selphie," scolded the ex-instructor "This is not an issue on who gets to eat the last hotdog!"

"For your information, 'rock, paper and scissors' is THE way to solve problems in life!" replied the brunette smiling brightly, not bothered at all by the look on Quistis's face.

Edea shook her head, amused by the girls' exchange. She couldn't believe none of their characters had changed through the years… Quistis was as bossy as ever, always the smart one and the proverbial voice of reason, while Selphie remained her cheerful, happy-go-lucky self…

"Okay, okay! Enough!" intervened Zell, rubbing his temple. This was not the time to be arguing about whether 'rock, paper and scissors' could help them out of their predicament. Hyne! For all he knew, Seifer along with the whole galbadian army and only Hyne-knew-what-else were inside the Pandora, waiting for them.

And what was worse: they had to make haste or else Esthar city would be reduced to ashes by sundown…

_Damn! _

_Now I know why Squall is always so tense! _

_Being in charge is definitely more stressful than I thought…_

The martial artist shook his head, dismissing his thoughts and promising to do his best to never upset the Commander again. Sparing a last thought for his friends' safe return, Zell focused his attention on the mission at hand.

His eyes returned to his teammates and the blond nodded, finally reaching his decision "I say we give Selphie's hunch a shot. She's luckier than I am, that's for sure."

The brunette's subsequent cheer and Quistis's roll of eyes made Zell crack a small smile. The blond's frown returned as his gaze switched to the third elevator "C'mon, we don't have much time!"

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author'__s whining corner:_

_Well, here it is: Chapter 64! (thanks, dear Beta for pointing that one to me XD) Yay!! Thanks to all of you for the marvelous reviews, you guys are the ones that keep me going :D_

_I'll be having a lot of work on the next two weeks, so chapter 65 will be later than originally planned. (I've already written half of the chapter, but still…) Arrghh! I hate school!_

_Whatever… (Damn, that "whateveritis" is getting worse…)_

_Anyway! I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I did writing it XD_

_And next on Unexpected Destiny: The Lunar Cry! Along with some unsolved issues... Which ones? I'm not telling! ;D So keep tuned!_

_Lots of hugs and kisses to all of you,_

_Celestial Rage_


	65. Chapter 65 Moonlight Sonata

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 65: Moonlight Sonata **

By CelestialRage

Her eyes opened slowly and she couldn't help the shiver running down her spine.

Darkness.

She was surrounded by pitch blackness, thick enough to not let her even see the hand she had risen to touch her face.

_Am I blind? _

Standing up from her kneeling position, the raven-haired focused her whole attention in her surroundings, trying to pick up any sound, but catching none.

"Hello?" she asked timidly as she tried to look around, her voice reflecting the weakness and fear she felt, its echo indicating her she was in a very vast room.

But where?

Frowning, Rosie recalled the last memories she held before appearing in this odd place: the confines of the magical bubble trapping her and her futile efforts to break the accursed cage, Squall fighting Seifer, the floor melting and swallowing her and the Sorceress, Edea's cruel smile as she said something about needing to break her and the amusement it'd grant her after all the trouble she'd to undergo to finally catch her, and then...

... nothing

_What has she done to me? _

_ Where am I?_

"Hello?!"Rosie called again, a sudden chill running down her spine when the fear no one would answer flashed in her mind.

_Am I all alone?_

Extending her hands in front of her, the raven-haired took a small step forwards. When she didn't bump into anything, a small amount of relief and confidence returned to her and she slowly kept her way, her seemingly blind eyes wide open while her hands scanned her surroundings trying to detect whatever obstacles that may lie on her path. Her ears rang as the silent atmosphere enveloping her became – ironically – almost deafening.

A low sigh suddenly froze her in place. Her head whipped in the direction of the sound, hope lightening her heart.

"Hello?" tentatively, Rosie stepped towards the voice "Who's there?"

A sudden white flash blinded her, the raven-haired quickly covered her stinging eyes as a painful yelp left her lips. A dry, humorless chuckle reached her ears, sending a chilly shock through her whole being.

Though the voice seemed hoarser and more aged, she recognized the characteristic sound of the Sorceress's laughter.

"Those friends of yours are a real annoyance."

Dark eyes widened when Rosie finally adjusted to the illuminated chamber. She was in a circular room surrounded by tall, impressive columns. The whole structure was made out of the purest of gold, shinning with unearthly beauty in the dim light.

But what had stunned the raven-haired the most was the figure sitting on the large throne located exactly in the center of the chamber: a beautiful, pale woman of platinum hair and crimson robes that barely covered her curvy form. Her amber eyes settled on the ex-SeeD as she stood up with incredible grace and unfolded a couple of large, ebony wings. Dark lips curled up in a cruel smile as the raven-haired took a step back in fear.

_Ultimecia…_

The Sorceress's smile widened "I see you know my name, child."

A second later, the scantily-clad woman raised a hand and Rosie felt her body being pulled towards the witch. Ultimecia's telekinetic powers forced the girl to kneel before her, an amused glint lightening the Sorceress's amber eyes at the efforts the girl did to try and hide her fear.

"Give in and I'll spare your friends' lives"

_For now, I guess..._ thought Rosie angrily, trying to keep herself from shaking in the powerful woman's presence.

The silver-haired chuckled "You have no other choice." A clawed hand moved to her right and the shadows covering the corner dissipated, showing a wall where several figures stood chained to the golden surface.

Rosie's eyes widened in horror as she recognized the bloodied frames of her friends: Zell, Thelma, Nida, Dante, Xu, Quistis, Rinoa, Selphie and Irvine were severely damaged and clung from the restrictive chains.

But what made her heart clench in a tighter fist was the sight of the always proud figure of Squall Leonhart now battered and almost clinging limp from the wall.

"You kan end their suffering." purred the Sorceress, leaning in to speak directly into the girl's left ear before circling her shoulders with her crimson-clad arms and resting her head on Rosie's right shoulder "Just surrender your soul to me."

The Sorceress's smile vanished as the raven-haired's whispered answer reached her ears "It's not real..."

Rosie slid from the stunned grip and turned to face Ultimecia. "This is all an illusion."

_All an illusion, Rosie... remember it's all an illusion…_

The older woman chuckled. "So you say, but are you really sure?"

Rosie frowned, trying to mask her fear and doubt as best as she could, her reaction only making the Sorceress's hoarse laughter increase. Ultimecia gestured again towards the captive SeeDs on the wall and the raven-haired's heart skipped a beat when one by one, her friends were roughly pulled from their chains before being submitted to the cruelest tortures.

Their flesh was charred by fiery flames, cut to pieces in bloody detail, just to be healed again by the witch's magic before more pain and humiliation were forced into their bodies. Rosie closed her eyes and covered her ears, while sinking to her knees as the agonized screams and terrible sight of her friends' ordeal became just too much to bear.

"Open your eyes. I am sure you would not want to miss this one." Ultimecia purred cruelly into her ear as a clawed hand grasped her chin and forced her to face forwards. Her hands were forced to her sides while the witch´s telekinetic power pried her eyes open.

_Please no..._

Tears finally escaped Rosie's eyes as Squall was brought forwards, the rest of her friends vanishing from view, thus focusing the whole attention of both the witch and the ex-SeeD on the Commander.

ooo ooo

Squall settled Rosie gingerly on the steel, coffin-like bed in the middle of the otherwise empty room. The Commander took a step back, his eyes still fixed on the girl's face as the bed sealed her slumbering form up with a metallic lid that slid upwards, followed by a transparent, but tough-looking glass that allowed him to keep his silent vigil over her.

"Don't worry. She'll be safe here." Piet said with a small smile. He still didn't know why doctor Odine had asked for the girl to be placed in the containment capsule, but he surely wasn't one to question his mentor's orders.

Interrupting his train of thought, the blond scientist, motioned to the other men in the room to follow him outside. "Before taking you to where Miss Ellone's rooms are, I have to ask you to come with me to the bridge."

Blue-grey eyes narrowed "What for?"

Piet smiled again. The brunet seemed to be such a skittish person, suspicious of everything and everyone. "Presidential orders," said the blond shrugging "He's meaning to meet with you as soon as he comes back."

"Back?" asked Irvine in confusion. "Where is he? I mean, it's not like there's a lot of places to go around here."

Piet chuckled "Well, he's currently not onboard the Base," when the cowboy's bewildered look didn't vanish, the doctor added "He's checking on Sorceress Adel."

Irvine's eyes widened as he recalled Squall telling them about a device in space where the former ruler of Esthar was sealed up.

The blond man stopped in his tracks, just in the middle of a wide corridor, whose walls were made pressure-resistant glass. "You can see the Tomb from here," said Piet signaling to something beyond the transparent walls.

Both SeeDs immediately looked that way and were once more astonished by the estharian's technology. Only they would be able to do something so incredibly beautiful… Adel's Tomb resembled more a pair of cybernetic wings lining both sides of a thin, metallic ring.

But what impressed them most, was the ominous figure frozen in the center of the ring. Although they couldn't make much of the woman from their distance, she seemed to be far taller than average mortals and with a broader frame too. Her massive arms were crossed over her waist in an X position and Squall briefly wondered if she'd been sealed just in the brink of casting a spell.

"This is Esthar's greatest pride," explained Piet with a smile that clearly showed he shared the feeling. "The best of our engineering knowledge has been applied in this project. Though to be completely honest, the Base was built just to keep a tight surveillance over Adel. We can't have another reign of terror like that one repeating itself."

"Why keep her sealed?" asked Irvine frowning "Why not just simply dispose of her?"

The doctor shrugged "That's Esthar's way. We control and contain rather than destroy what endangers us. You can't learn from something you don't know anything about if you destroy the subject, don't you agree Commander?" finished Piet with a smile.

The brunet didn't reply, keeping his eyes settled on the frozen menace barely 50 meters away from the Lunar Base. Stormy eyes narrowed further as he pressed the question that had been nagging in the back of his mind since he'd first laid eyes on the Sorceress's Tomb "Is there a way to unseal Adel?"

Stunned by the SeeD's question, Piet's eyes left the sealed witch to look at Squall's face. The doctor smirked "Don't worry, my friend. Unsealing her would be practically impossible," when both men turned their attention to him, Piet explained "There are two locks to Adel's Tomb: the first one is in the control room and the other is there…" he motioned in the floating device's direction "… in the Tomb itself."

"You'd have to go through the whole security personal to get to the first lock. And even if you managed by Hyne's intervention not getting killed in the process, you'd have to go to the space port and unlock one of the spacesuits we keep there, put it on and make it alive to the Gate."

The blond smiled wider "As you can see, we have taken all the security measures to ensure Adel remains sealed for a long time."

Squall's frown deepened, but kept whatever thoughts he had on the matter to himself.

ooo ooo

"Uhm… I don't know why, but I don't really like the sound of that," muttered Selphie nervously.

Quistis and Zell nodded in reply, each SeeD's grip tightening around their respective weapons as they looked around. The faint humming sound reaching them echoed through the facility, making it difficult to pin-point its source.

The three SeeDs and Edea were now in the deepest bowels of Lunatic Pandora's impressive frame, and though the previous experience Quistis and Selphie had in the 'Dreamworld' had aided them to navigate along the several corridors, the group had trouble pointing their exact location since the structure had suffered great changes through the years.

Zell frowned.

He didn't like the mission so far. They'd been inside the Pandora for more than 15 minutes and – aside from a couple of SAMs – had encountered little resistance. He knew Seifer had displayed numerous troops along the streets of Esthar's capitol, but that didn't mean the Knight had left the humongous base entirely deserted either… so, where were the galbadians?

Why were they practically _allowed_ to come this far?

The blond turned to look at his small squad "Keep your cool," he said to the women "I don't like this one bit."

ooo ooo

Irvine glanced around amazed by the astounding technology the Estharian control room possessed. Holographic monitors were scattered through the chamber, each of them displaying data he couldn't begin to understand.

"Doctor Piet," called a technician, sitting in the furthest corner of the room. His urgent tone made the recently arrived men frown and quickly close the distance between their current position and the tech's work station.

"What is it?" asked the blond as he came closer.

"The latest readings on the lunar activity have arrived, sir," said the man, flickering a button which immediately displayed the information on the huge screen in front of him. "I'm afraid they're not very encouraging…"

Piet's subsequent silence and worried expression aroused the SeeDs' curiosity. Irvine looked at the screen, frowning at the incomprehensible symbols and complicated equations "Care to share, doc?"

The blond tore his eyes from the ominous data and settled them on the teenagers "I'm afraid we will have to evacuate the Base within the next 2 hours."

"What? Why?" asked Squall

Piet touched the holographic screen, the written symbols switched immediately, showing the SeeDs an image of the Moon. The Commander's eyes narrowed when he detected the crimson hue in the center of Earth's lone satellite.

"What is that?!" asked Irvine glancing at the same sickening color. His eyes narrowed "It seems to be moving…"

"That is…" said the doctor as he touched the screen again, zooming in the image 10 times "…because it is, Mr. Kinneas." Piet frowned at the screen "What you are watching now, gentlemen, are the monsters living in the Moon gathering in a single point."

Squall's eyes widened "That's the definition for–"

The blond nodded "A Lunar Cry."

ooo ooo

Squall's agonized screams boomed through the golden chamber, the pain-filled noise muffling the raven-haired's whimpers as she watched helplessly her beloved's flesh being torn apart piece by agonizing piece.

The sight was maddening and her whole body trembled with anger and pain. Tears had long since stopped flowing and Rosie's face was completely numb by now.

How she wished her heart was as well!

"You kan stop his suffering..." purred the Sorceress in her ear once more. "... along with yours."

The raven-haired shook her head, clenching her teeth and closing her eyes as a particularly high-pitched cry left the Commander's throat, mixed with the nauseating sound of ripped flesh.

Ultimecia's calm expression turned into one of heated anger.

The boy's torture had been playing for the raven-haired for what seemed an eternity – not that time mattered in the void created by the intemporal woman – and yet she still hadn't surrendered her soul to her. Why was this girl so resistant? She didn't have this much trouble with the blond Knight or the older Sorceress!

The platinum-haired woman smirked.

Fine.

If the little witch wanted to play, she would certainly be glad to show her _**why**_ she was a master of illusions.

"You are so kold-hearted!" hissed Ultimecia pulling the raven-haired to her feet. "Don't you kare about your friends?"

Rosie remained silent, turning her face downwards to avoid the Sorceress's amber eyes.

"So egoist" spat the older woman disgustingly as she let go of the raven-haired's shoulders and took a step back while shaking her head. "You don't kare about anyone else but yourself."

Rosie's hands clenched into tight fists. How can the witch say that? _She_ was the one torturing people – her friends – for her own sick amusement!!

The sound of the Sorceress's laughter reached her ears, causing her to frown in confusion. The normally cruel chuckle of the older woman had been replaced by a soft giggle that almost resembled the kind of silly laughter coming from an embarrassed schoolgirl. Rosie's curiosity gained the best of her and she turned to face the crimson-robbed witch.

Dark eyes widened at the scene.

Ultimecia was holding an uninjured and quite handsome-looking Squall, snaking one arm around his neck while the other played with the Griever's pendant just above his heart. The Commander's face sported his usual neutral mask as he gazed directly back at the raven-haired with cold steel eyes filled with hatred and disappointment, the emotions ten times more evident than back in the Trabian Headmistress's office.

The witch's head rested on the brunet's chest as her hand left the silver pendant in order to stoke his cheek "Don't you agree, my dear?"

The Commander nodded, his eyes narrowing further as he hissed in anger "She is nothing but a selfish little girl."

"Squall..." his words stung deep within her, making her heart ache with a burning sensation and eliciting the memory of their last conversation inside Balamb Garden's bridge.

"_I'm sick of your tantrums!"_

"_Will you just do what I tell you for once and stop being a damn brat?!"_

"_At least I'm not__** stupid**__ enough not to recognize when someone doesn't want my advice."_

Another familiar voice, this time soft and feminine, was heard at her back. "You just care about yourself," turning around, Rosie came face to face with Rinoa's frowning face. The raven-haired girl shook her head slightly as tears came down her porcelain cheeks while she said in a hurtful tone "How could you get between Squall and I? We would have been so happy together!"

Rosie's mouth opened to say something, but found it impossible.

"What gives you the right?" continued Rinoa angrily "You don't even belong here!"

"That is..." said another voice, making Rosie to turn to her left where Selphie was standing. Her normally cheerful face was darkened by fury as she glanced at the ex-SeeD with cold emerald eyes "... because she's selfish."

"Selphie…" muttered the raven-haired shaking her head "I – "

"You could have gotten everyone at Trabia and Balamb Garden killed and you know it!" yelled the brunette.

"But I didn't!!" snapped Rosie angrily "I _saved _them!"

"It was luck." hissed a voice as her right. Irvine came out of the shadows that had long since replaced the golden chamber she'd been in. The cowboy looked disdainfully down at her from his towering height "You know you've only been lucky. Why don't you admit it?"

"Yeah, you almost got us killed inside the District Prison thanks to your half-baked plans." said Zell, who had just materialized beside the sharpshooter and now stood a couple of feet away from Rosie. The martial artist frowned "Or have you already forgotten about that little detail?"

"You are reckless..." whispered a soft voice behind her, making the hair in the back of her neck rise. Quistis walked into view, her blue eyes narrowed in anger and repulsion "... stubborn, selfish, weak and –"

"Stupid," finished Squall's voice at her side, making Rosie's tears to fall again. She felt the Commander's gloved hands grab her shoulders in order to make her to turn to face him. His stormy eyes reflected nothing but hatred and disappointment "I wished I had never met you..." snarled the brunet coldly "... you're nothing but trouble."

Rosie's heart shattered and she fell to her knees as soon as Squall's firm grasp left her shoulders. Images of the SeeDs' frowning faces played for her mind's eye time and again, while disapproving and angry words reverberated in her ears.

An eternity passed and finally one by one of her friends turned their backs on her before vanishing into the cold void. Squall took Rinoa's hand, both of them exchanging a loving look before turning their attention to the kneeling raven-haired. With a narrowed gaze, as though she was nothing above repulsive, both teenagers turned around and disappeared without a glance back.

Hiding her face in her hands, Rosie cried like she'd never done before. Despair gripped her very soul at the thought of the hatred and disgust her friends felt for her and the way they had abandoned her without a second thought.

The darkness of the void intensified without the colorful figures of the SeeDs standing beside her and she could feel the temperature dropping several degrees, making the raven-haired to hug herself in order to fight the cold. The only sounds reaching her ears were her own pained sobs and occasional sniffs, intensified when the reality of her situation dawned on her.

... she was completely alone.

There was no one she could rely on.

A gentle, warm touch enveloped her from, chasing away the void's coldness with a loving and comfort-filled hug. "My poor child..." whispered the Sorceress in a soothing tone as her embrace tightened. "... are these the friends you're trying so desperately to save?"

Rosie remained silent, basking in the warmth of the older woman's body against her chilled one. Ultimecia ran a gentle hand through dark strands "They are nothing but traitors. After all you have done for them..."

The raven-haired closed her eyes in pain.

"And their leader is the worst of them." whispered the Sorceress in a motherly tone. "He doesn't deserve your love, my child." claw-like fingers caressed the girl's wet cheek. "He is full of deceit and hate."

"W-what?" asked Rosie weakly.

"Exactly what I said," Ultimecia placed her hand under the raven-haired's chin, forcing her to look upwards. "His words are recorded in the tape of time, my dear. Look for yourself." The Sorceress's hand flickered in a graceful motion and the void's blackness shifted into a small, yet elegant room she knew too well.

Cid's office.

"_Today's reunion was interrupted due to the circumstances." s_aid the Headmaster sitting behind his mahogany desk_ "Tomorrow we'll resume it at 1300 hours. Same place." _Cid made a long pause and Rosie could see Squall's frame about to stand up when the older man spoke again_ "Ms. Bennett will be present too... we need to analyze how to adress that issue in a way that will benefit all parts involved."_

Squall's icy eyes settled on the older man_ "Are you sure that´s the best thing to do, sir?"_

The Headmaster shrugged_ "What do you suggest?"_

"_I'd suggest we discharge her." _The brunet's tone was cold enough to drop the temperature in the room a couple of degrees_. "She's not reliable. She hid important information from us, endangering not only those around her, but also Garden itself."_

The image froze and Rosie felt the tears running down her cheeks again. Squall didn't consider her trustworthy... he had even wanted to discharge her, for Hyne's sake!

Then why didn't he do it?

The raven-haired's blood boiled in anger as the memories of the following weeks rushed in her mind and realization hit her like a school bus.

The bastard had kept her around just to use her knowledge, surely planning to discard her as soon as her utility had expired.

She knew Squall was angry but to come to that extent...

"You kan't kount on him." said the Sorceress softly, almost in an apologetic manner for revealing this truth to her. "He's a snake that only wants you for your power."

Memories of the weeks preceding the encounter with Galbadia Garden flashed in her mind, making her anger rise with every new image. The strategic meetings, the hours-long training, the proximity and sheer coldness of the Commander towards her...

"But I'm here, my child." purred the Sorceress resuming her caresses on Rosie's hair. "We kan make things right..." the older woman stood up, straightening in all her dark glory. A smile spread through her features as she offered the raven-haired a hand, "... trust in me and turn into the mongoose. Destroy the deceiving snake."

Half-clouded, brown eyes lifted to meet the Sorceress's hand, making the smile in Ultimecia's face to melt into a smirk.

She was close.

The girl's spirit was almost broken.

"Kome, child." whispered the witch alluringly.

Rosie's hand raised to take the Sorceress's offering when a sudden memory flashed in her mind. Instead of the beautiful, bright, motherly figure she saw now towering over her, stood the stoic Commander's far broader frame.

He'd helped her get up before inspecting her injured head.

"_Let me see how much of a head trauma you've done to yourself." _

"_OWWW!! You said see not poke!"_

A string of memories of Squall and herself played for her mind's eye, finishing with the brief kiss he'd given her in the Training Center.

She frowned.

If he only cared about the power her knowledge could give him... then what did the kiss mean? Why do it? Why then and not after her confession in Trabia?

Rosie blinked twice, coming out of her reverie, the haze clouding her eyes vanishing as she did so. The incredibly beautiful, motherly figure she'd seen just seconds before now revealed her true dark nature and the raven-haired backed off at the sight of Ultimecia's evil smirk.

"**You** are the snake... " said Rosie frowning in hatred. Her gaze shifted where the Commander's frozen frame was sitting in front of Cid. "Squall may have said those things, but still I trust him... even if the feeling isn't mutual."

The Sorceress's amber eyes narrowed "Why?!" she demanded "Why trust someone who dumps you away like trash once you're not needed anymore?"

"Because I love him." replied the raven-haired nonchalantly "Foolishly enough, I love Squall Leonhart..." Rosie's eyes closed and a hand was placed upon her heart. "... and I trust him with my very soul."

Ultimecia's eyes narrowed further at the girl's last words, a slight glint shinning in her amber orbs.

"You damn fool." was the older woman's cold reply before she turned around, the Headmaster's office melting with the shadows of her raven wings and vanishing into nothing.

ooo ooo

"Seems we finally hit the jackpot," said Zell smirking as he glanced into the wide corridor.

The small group had been wandering through the Pandora's facilities for another good 20 minutes before they finally reached the upper levels. 4 pairs of eyes scanned the area, detecting a steeled double door in the end of the long walkway. They seemed to be just in the core of the huge monolith as the pristine crystal walls raised several meters above their heads. There seemed to be some kind of metallic lid in the ceiling, but the SeeDs didn't have the chance to inspect their surroundings further as the same disturbing humming they'd heard before started again.

The three SeeDs immediately shifted into battle positions, surrounding their Matron as well. A second later, the sound increased and a large shape swooped down before them, cutting the group's route towards the double doors at the end of the corridor.

"What is this thing?!" exclaimed Selphie glancing at the azure robot. It was totally different from any other galbadian weapon they'd encountered throughout their journeys. The slender, almost stylized form looked far from harmful, quite a contrast to the GIM and SAM models of the western army.

However, the tiny brunette's perception changed 180 degrees as a sudden force pulled her and the other squad members from the floor.

"The HELL?!" yelled Zell, surprised by the unexpected move.

Quistis hand extended, the blonde summoning a Thunder spell that was dissipated before it could touch the machine. She frowned "It holds very powerful magic!"

Selphie and Zell attacked with equal potent Thundagas, but as Quistis's previous spell, the robot was able to dispel them before it could be harmed. Edea focused, the magical aura around her increasing and attracting the cyborg's attention.

Deciding to take care of the nuisances before the situation could get worse, the weapon used its telekinetic powers again, hurling the four figures away. The SeeDs and Edea were pulled through an opening far below the catwalk they were standing at.

Selphie yelped as she barely skipped a wire that lied in her descending path. Her eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat when she detected a wide hatch opening in the lower levels and the plateau that laid far below.

"It's going to throw us out of the Pandora!" cried the tiny SeeD in fear.

Quistis immediately cast a Float spell on herself, only to discover the telekinetic pull was not affected in the least by her magic.

They continued falling, their bodies soon leaving the monolith's premises and keeping their hurried way towards the ground. Zell clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, preparing himself for the impact…

… but it never came.

A popping sound was heard all around the group. The martial artist's eyes snapped open at the sudden noise, only to find a semi-transparent bubble surrounding them, making their descent a lot gentler than it originally was.

Few feet from the ground, the bubble snapped and the 4 figures fell. Zell immediately reached over to hold Edea, who had paled and breathed with difficulty.

"Matron! You ok?" asked Selphie concerned.

The older woman nodded tiredly, but none the less sent the brunette a small, reassuring smile. "I-I just need to rest…"

Quistis gaze turned from their subrogate mother's face to the already retreating frame of the Pandora. She frowned "It kills me to let them go."

Edea closed her eyes "I'm sorry, my child. If only I had managed to break through that spell sooner–"

Her voice was cut off by Zell's words "Don't worry, Matron. You saved our lives, we have nothing to hold against you," the martial artist smiled a little and, once he received a nod from the older woman, he looked at the other 2 SeeDs "What's done is done. We better go back to Esthar and regroup with Vaugham…"

His eyes shifted to the Lunatic Pandora's frame "We'll have a shit load of trouble once that thing gets to Tear's Point."

ooo ooo

The two SeeDs made their way quickly through the Base, squeezing between the already moving personal. Although the evacuation order had not been given yet, the estharians could certainly tell that something was definitely wrong with the Moon.

Furthermore, as Piet had explained the SeeDs, the Lunar Base's current location placed both the Tomb and the scientific facility directly in the path of the destructive phenomenon.

Squall still couldn't believe his luck.

Finally he'd managed to reach Ellone just to have a damn Lunar Cry – of all things! – to get in his way.

But he was **not** giving up. Not yet.

"Hey, Squall… look!"

Frowning at the cowboy's sudden interruption of his thoughts, the Commander turned his face enough so he could look at Irvine out the corner of his eyes. The auburn-haired man had stopped dead on his tracks and was looking at something far beyond the transparent walls.

Squall followed his gaze, noticing the sealing device was nearer to this part of the Base, allowing him to have a better look of its whole structure and the figure frozen inside. His eyes narrowed further as he detected 3 spacesuit-clad forms approaching Adel's Tomb.

"Guess that one's the President," muttered the brunet, glancing at the central figure, who seemed to be checking a device on the Tomb's right side. Squall folded his arms, still looking at the estharian ruler.

He guessed the man knew what he was doing, especially since Piet had told them Adel's current condition was thanks to the President. He had been the one to seal the Sorceress away 17 years ago... though _how_ was something the blond didn't know.

Squall frowned.

The task seemed impossible for an average man and the Commander had the sudden want to meet the peculiar estharian ruler.

But right now, he had another meeting to attend.

Shrugging inwardly, Squall finally tore his eyes from the President and his small crew and turned around, resuming his walk through the hallway leading to the executive area, where the rooms for the estharian ruler and his closest personal, along with those reserved for the important guests stood.

His footsteps soon gained a heavier echo as Irvine followed his lead, both SeeDs halting in front of one of the last doors, next to which was a small, golden plaque that read "R-5A". Squall hesitated briefly before knocking, vaguely wondering how he would feel about seeing Ellone again, now that he knew who she was.

And the important role she had during his early years.

His thoughts were interrupted by a quiet reply over the intercom. "Come in, it's open," Immediately after, the metallic door slid upwards allowing the SeeDs entrance to the wide, beautifully decorated chamber.

Squall's eyes soon left the bright blue and yellow walls and furniture to settle on the furthest corner, where a capsule-like bed stood. Sitting on the weird, but at the same time cozy-looking mattress was Ellone, whose gaze seemed lost on the glowing Moon beyond the wide window adorning the room's left wall.

Hearing the approaching footsteps, the short-haired girl tore her attention from the peculiar phenomenon and settled them on the incoming SeeDs. She smiled warmly in greeting, the gesture widening when Squall used a nickname she'd not heard in what felt like a lifetime ago.

"Sis."

Ellone stood up from her seat, tilting her head to the side as she did so. "It's been so long, Squall." Looking behind the brunet, she added "Irvy, you haven't changed a bit… well, except maybe in height."

The cowboy smiled back at her "You are as pretty as always, Elle," his eyes shifted to Squall, noticing his tense stance "Now, if you excuse me, I'll go take another look to Adel's Tomb."

At Ellone's subsequent confused look, Irvine grinned "I'm sure Squall would feel more comfortable without a third party listening to your conversation," he walked towards the door, turning before exiting, "Besides, that way he would owe me one later!" he added with a wink, gaining a chuckle from the dark haired girl and a frown from the Commander.

Once the cowboy had disappeared behind the door and Ellone's brief laughter subsided, she returned dark eyes to the brunet and smiled "It's good to see you again."

He nodded in reply, too busy trying to form his request for her help in his mind to answer her verbally.

Ellone's expression saddened "I'm sorry, Squall," when stormy eyes met hers, she added "I put you through so much…"

The Commander shook his head, dismissing her apology as he could empathize with her goal "Were we of any help?"

Her smile returned "Of course. You were my eyes." tilting her head to the side, she added "Through all of you I could see the past through his eyes... to know his side of the story," her voice lowered in shame "I-I always thought Uncle Laguna..."

"Didn't love you?" asked Squall frowning.

She nodded slightly "I was just a kid back then... there were things I didn't understand. I was afraid and so alone during those months I was held captive in Odine's lab..." her eyes returned to his face again "But now I know he did. He really loved me and Raine. Everything he did was for us. "

The brunet remained silent for a minute, before finally speaking in a low voice "Sis, I need your help," at Ellone's warm smile and brief nod, he added "I need you to send me back a couple of weeks ago. I have to see the moment when Rosie –"

Ellone shook her head, abruptly interrupting his words "I-I can't…"

And Squall forgot to breathe.

Stunned, he stayed completely still for a moment, not quite believing what he'd just heard. The notion of Ellone not being able to help him get Rosie back had crossed his mind at some point, but it was still unthinkable.

"I am sorry, Squall," said the dark-haired girl sadly "But I can only send people I know into people I knew in the past... I don't know why, but that's how my power works. Even though I want to help you, I can't send you inside Rosie, because I don't know her."

"I brought her here with me," retorted the SeeD quickly. Maybe if Ellone saw her, then she'd be able to help him out.

His Sis smiled widely at his perseverance. To think he'd come this far without faltering… the least she could do was give it a shot.

Ellone nodded "Okay, Squall. Let's go see her."

ooo ooo

Her eyes snapped open, bright light blinding her momentarily and forcing her to close them again before she could use her vision once more. Something soft laid beneath her prone form and she could feel the warmth from the sun enveloping her frame. The smell of antiseptics and cleaning products reached her nose before her eyes focused entirely and the raven-haired could finally decipher her surroundings.

She was laying on one of Balamb Garden's Infirmary beds.

How had she gotten here?

And what happened to Ultimecia?

Had the witch let her go once realizing she wasn't breaking easily?

That would certainly explain why she was in the Infirmary. Surely she had been in a coma much like Rinoa in the game...

Her heart skipped a beat at the subsequent thought that invaded her mind like a cancer: Did that mean she was a Sorceress now?

A slight movement to her right caught her attention, interrupting her train of thought. Rosie's eyes widened when she recognized the mop of longish, copper bangs resting beside her on the mattress.

It had to be a dream...

"Squall?" his name left her lips in a low, hesitant voice. When the brunet didn't stir, the raven-haired got her left hand out of the covers' warmth to run it through soft chocolate bangs. A wide smile spread through her face at the contact with the silken hair.

He was _real_ and that was all she needed to know right now.

Rosie's light touch woke the Commander, who straightened immediately, his stormy eyes scanning the room for the intruder before finally settling them on the still smiling raven-haired laying on the bed before him.

Blue-gray eyes widened and a low, hoarse whisper left his lips as he sunk to his knees "Rosie..."

The girl smiled wider before her arms closed around the brunet's neck with the speed of light. The whole discussion they had before the battle now seemed meaningless compared to the hell she'd just been through. The torturous images Ultimecia had forced upon her returned with full force and she tightened her hold on her beloved Commander as a small whimper left her lips. She was sure the scenes of Squall and her friends being slowly tortured would forever haunt her, no matter the outcome of the weird adventure.

"Squall..." her voice broke as she felt the brunet's strong arms encircling her shaking form as his low voice hushed her. Tears fell from her dark eyes in relief and joy at the stoic man's actions and the warm, protective proximity.

"I was so scared..."

"Don't worry." Squall's warm breath tickled her ear, sending shivers down her spine "Everything's going to be fine."

She closed her eyes, taking strength from his firm hold. She felt completely safe now... she always did whenever he was near.

"Trust me, Rosie."

"_Why trust someone who dumps you away like trash once you're not needed anymore?"_

_ "Because I love him."_

"_Foolishly enough, I love Squall Leonhart..."_

Smiling, the raven-haired tightened her hold on the Commander's shoulders and relaxed her frame against his. Yes, she loved him and would follow Squall even to the pits of Hell if needed be. Her heart and soul opened to him, greeting whatever he wanted to gift her with and offering her unconditional trust and love in return.

_ "... and I trust him with my very soul."_

Rosie smiled "I do."

_ "You damn fool."_

A brief silence enveloped both before his voice reached her again. "That's what I wanted to hear."

Opening her eyes and frowning in confusion at both the words and the unusual, amused tone he used, Rosie suddenly found herself pinned against the Commander's body. His arms closed harder around her almost to the point it was painful

"S-Squall? You're hurting me..." the raven-haired tried to untangle herself from the forceful embrace before the cruel chuckle she'd come to fear froze her heart.

Her eyes widened as dark wings spread from the brunet's back a second before sharp claws dug into her flesh, gaining an agonized cry from the ex-SeeD. The Commander's broad frame slowly transformed onto the lithe body of Ultimecia, her crimson-clad arms circling the raven-haired painfully tight just before the older woman's frame started melting with hers. Pink flashes of light enveloped Rosie's body briefly while her surroundings vanished to the dark void she'd been initially in, the whole scene in the infirmary being just a product of the Sorceress's will to cheat the raven-haired into surrendering her soul to her.

Rosie dropped to her knees, the colorful aura surrounding her disappearing slowly as her head straightened. Her seemingly relaxed expression suddenly darkened as her lips curved up in a cruel smirk just a second before her eyelids opened to reveal the now amber orbs beneath them.

ooo ooo

"Yeah, I can't wait to go back ho–" the technician's words were interrupted by a loud beeping sound. Frowning, both men turned to look at the containment capsule where the comatose girl rested.

The device monitoring her vital signs started blinking, displaying data at light speed. Both men exchanged a confused look before one of them moved towards it.

"The hell?!" exclaimed the man looking at the readings "Her brain activity has just shoot skywards!"

"We better call doctor Piet," offered the second tech, moving to the panel where the intercom system was located, stopping in mid motion as a loud shattering sound boomed through the room, followed by sharp, raw pain on his back.

Startled, the man whirled around, fear muddling his pain as he was confronted with the sickening view of his comrade's bloody frame pierced by tens of sharp crystal shards. "Bob? Oh, Hyne! What the hell–?" his words stuck in his throat as he watched with wide eyes at the figure rising from the capsule-like bed.

The raven-haired straightened shakily, taking a cautious step as if to test her stability. Amber eyes scanned the room and were suddenly attracted to the sliding door.

A female researcher entered the chamber "Bob, Andy, have you seen–?" she stopped in mid-sentence as her eyes left the papers she was carrying and settled on the standing girl. Her eyes widened in horror as she detected the source of the crimson hue tinting the otherwise translucent floor.

However, her terrified scream never left her throat as her body was immediately immolated by an incredibly powerful blaze. The once comatose girl's arm lowered slowly, while she seemed to admire her handy work.

The remaining technician trembled. He had already witnessed that kind of power and inhuman speed once 17 years ago…

… and every night he had prayed he wouldn't have to witness it again.

"Sorceress!" exclaimed the man in a high-pitched tone that clearly reflected his fear. Scrambling back to his feet, the man rushed towards the alarm. The same sizzling sound he'd heard briefly before the other woman had vanished between flames made his heart skip a beat.

As the palm of his hand pressed hardly the claxon's trigger, the estharian closed his eyes, preparing for the pain to come.

ooo ooo

Ellone's chuckle at Irvine's joke was suddenly muffled by the blaring sound of the alarm. Quickly recovering from their startled state, both SeeDs immediately took defensive positions around the girl, ready to protect her from any menace.

"_Red alert! Red alert!"_

"_Security breach in Medical. All personal to battle stations."_

"_I repeat"_

"_All personal to battle stations."_

Squall's eyes widened.

_Rosie!_

The Commander turned to look at Irvine, who interrupted him even before he could issue the order "Don't worry, I'll take care of Sis," said the cowboy nodding in the medical facility's direction "Go."

Squall nodded in thanks and, after sparing a reassuring nod to Ellone so to soothe her worried expression, he turned around and bolted towards the staircase.

Revolver left its sheath as the brunet practically jumped down the entire flight and kept his hurried pace. His eyebrows knitted deeper and he forced himself to run faster as the constant gunfire and painful cries from the security units melted in a sickening symphony of death.

Rounding the corner, Squall was immediately greeted by the sight of the estharian's battle line. The once clear crystal walls were now tinted with blood as several corpses laid scattered along the corridor, some of them had apparently been blown to pieces by a powerful blast, while others had their limbs twisted in angles they were not supposed to bend.

Suddenly, a bright flash blinded all the presents and Squall had a serious time maneuvering to avoid the soldiers' bodies that had been hurled in his general direction. The Commander straightened, raising his gunblade in order to fight the threat.

However, as his vision steadied, the brunet let Revolver's tip fall. His heart raced as he was confronted with the face of the attacker.

"Rosie…" muttered Squall, his voice barely audible due to the rush of emotions and thoughts filling his whole being at once.

ooo ooo

The door to the control room opened and Irvine gently ushered Ellone inside, his eyes never leaving the main hall. Though the cowboy couldn't actually see what the whole disturbance was about, he had a very good idea…

… and that was not good.

ooo ooo

"Sir Almasy!" exclaimed a galbadian tech, gaining the blond's attention "Sir! We are getting increasing readings from the Crystal Pillar!"

"How long until we're directly over Tear's Point?" asked Seifer unfolding his arms and looking at the wide monitors in the room.

"Ten more minutes, sir" replied another tech.

The Knight's trademark smirk widened. "Keep our course. Once we are in a 2 mile-range from our destination, decrease our speed 50 per cent."

ooo ooo

Stormy eyes narrowed as he focused on the girl in front of him.

Squall detected the faint trembling of her body and the light sway of her step. It seemed Rosie was still weak from the heavy and prolonged slumber, but from what he'd just witnessed, that condition didn't reflect on her power.

She'd just tossed aside a dozen men – each one heavier than her by several pounds – without any visible effort; had crippled at least another ten more without the aid of her weapon, or any other physical means…

_She´s indeed a Sorceress…_ thought the Commander frowning.

How was he supposed to stop her?

His heart gave a somersault as a sudden idea flashed in his mind.

Will he have to fight her?

To _hurt_ her?

His eyes narrowed further…

_No._

… and he returned Revolver to its sheath.

It was definitive. A decision he'd made in the span of a heartbeat, however, he knew he wouldn't think about it twice.

He _couldn't_ think about it twice.

"Rosie," her name was spoken in a steady voice as he took a step forwards, "You have to stop. There are innocent people here and– " Squall's next words were cut off as his frame was hurled against a nearby wall.

His head banged hard against the steel surface and he shook it to clear the sudden dizziness. Once more, the Commander had to thank his Guardians for their protection; he knew the strength of the blast had been incredible. No wonder the estharian guards hadn't stood a chance.

Rosie advanced through the corridor, the slight trembling Squall had detected before was slowly vanishing as the raven-haired regained the lost balance. As she passed, the corpses of the security personal were tossed aside again, clearing her path of obstacles.

Cursing under his breath, the brunet climbed to his feet and – as steadily as possible, given the powerful blow he'd just received – approached her from behind. "Rosie–" her name had barely left his lips when a sudden grip took hold of his throat, lifting him a couple of feet from the ground.

His heart froze as she slowly turned her head enough to look at him out the corner of her eyes. A cold gleam lightened the golden orbs for a second and he could see the raven-haired raise a hand in his direction. The magical aura around her increased at the limb, and she looked about to cast a powerful spell that would surely blow him to smithereens.

However, the expected blast never came.

Squall's scowl deepened when Rosie's eyes changed color. It was brief, but for a second, the dark brown hue he knew was once more in her gaze. Several heartbeats passed as the girl seemed to debate with herself, until finally lowering her hand.

Counting his blessings, the Commander tried to talk again, however, the icy golden glare in her eyes sharpened and he was once again tossed aside like a ragdoll. His back collided hard against the steel floor and he knew no more.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author's note:_

_Hello! Hello! I'm back! YAY!! XD_

_And this time, hopefully, it's for good. I've already finished college (yeah, I FINALLY graduated :D), so I expect to be able to update sooner than before. _

_I hope you liked this chapter. As I pointed before to Mr. Sunshine's Best Friend, the part where we get to know what happened to Rosie while under Ultimecia's influence was already written and I wanted to include it in this chapter, so it could complement what was going on in the Lunar Base. I hope you enjoyed the result :D_

_We're getting closer to the climatic part of this story and though there's still a long road ahead, I hope you stay with me until the very end._

_Dagger, dear, thanks a lot for the marvelous, condensed review of the three previous chapters. It's good to have you back :) As always thanks for the praise and support, my dear. You're very encouraging._

_Thanks to all my readers and reviewers, you know I appreciate every line you write to me and my eternal love will be with each and every one of you._

_Well, gotta start working on the next installment… and also to complete a couple of short one-shots I've been writing too. Unfortunately, these two pieces won't see the light until this story is finished, so I better hurry XD _

_Oh, so many to write and so little time! _

_Love ya all!_

_Celestial Rage_


	66. Chapter 66 Doomsday

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 66: Doomsday **

By CelestialRage

A loud humming disrupted the peaceful atmosphere of the estharian plains. The sound announced the passing of the huge monolith, whose large shadow extended throughout the land like an ominous messenger.

Like the Pandora of the myth, it was the bringer of destruction.

Trapped inside the steel case, the once dormant Crystal Pillar shinned with unearthly light, the energy pulses coursing through its entire frame gaining speed as it came closer to its final destination.

Inside the bridge, Seifer's smirk widened.

Jade eyes detected the so-called Energy Barriers the estharians had built in order to contain the powerful gravitational pulse oozing from Tear's Point. Several giant cubes lined around the main structure, consisting on a group of female effigies frozen in time.

"Sir, we're getting inside the barrier," announced one technician.

Seifer nodded "What's the status on the protecting shield?"

The tech's fingers flew across the keyboard "Its active, sir. But if our calculus are correct, it will be useless against the Crystal Pillar's entire force."

"Good," retorted the Knight folding his arms. "Decrease our speed, let's enter gently."

"Aye, aye, sir."

The ground around Tear's Point shook violently as the Lunatic Pandora's huge frame positioned itself slowly over the energy point. The huge cubes forming the Energy Barrier shifted in color, the once bluish pulse turning yellow, green and finally settling on crimson once the monolith was entirely in place.

The vibrations between both devices grew stronger, making the tremors increase until one by one of the energy cubes cracked, the effigies following close. The crimson hue diminished, until only the natural glow of the gravity-charged point remained, its yellowish brilliance increased by the Crystal Pillar's influence over it.

"We're ready, sir," announced the tech again "Pandora is directly over Tear's Point."

Seifer's smirk widened "Stop our engines and direct our cameras to the sky," ordered the Knight turning to look at the monitors "Prepare for the Lunar Cry and our expected visit," finished the blond with a smile.

ooo ooo

The first thing that Squall registered as he came back to the land of the living, was the sharp pain on his back. His head spun and the Commander had to focus his entire strength in the healing magic he summoned.

The blaring of the alarm still boomed through the facility, adding to the brunet's increasing headache as he slowly picked himself up. He didn't know how long he'd been unconscious, but judging by the constant chime of the alarm, he guessed it hadn't been more than a few minutes.

Sparing a look around him, Squall detected the trail of corpses lining Rosie's path. No more gunfire could be heard, meaning either she had finished with the entire security personal, or they had…

His heart skipped a beat at the thought.

As quickly as he could, the brunet dashed down the corridor, following the path of destruction the raven-haired had left on her wake. Fear rose in him again as he realized where the trail was leading him: the control room.

Squall stormed into the chamber, his eyes frantically looking for signs of Ellone, Irvine or Rosie. The latter was nowhere to be seen, however, he detected his Sis crouching next to the injured Piet on the other side of the room. The scientist held a deep gash in his forehead and the young woman was applying a bandage to the injure.

The other techs were either dead or slumped on their seats, unconscious. A deep groan at his right, made Squall's eyes shift and relief washed over him as he detected the large form of the cowboy. Irvine was slowly getting to his feet, shaking his head to dismiss the grogginess he felt.

Quickly making his way through the scattered corpses, Squall kneeled next to Ellone "You alright?" she nodded in response, her paled face betraying the fear she felt at the whole situation.

Blue-grey eyes shifted to Piet "What happened? Where is Rosie?"

The doctor groaned in pain as he tried to move his head "She… she has deactivated the first seal," Piet's eyes widened in fear "She can't make it to the second one! Adel… Adel would…"

Ellone shushed the injured man, applying a little more pressure to his head.

Squall's frown deepened. He remembered the blond had told him the second seal was in the Sorceress's Tomb, outside the base… but… would Rosie be able to reach it? His train of thought was interrupted as a hand closed around his shirt, making the brunet face an enraged Piet.

"You knew it! You knew that little bitch would unseal Adel, didn't you?" snapped the doctor angrily, "That's why you asked me about it!"

The Commander shook the blond's grip away, his eyes narrowing dangerously at the term Piet had used to address Rosie. "Whatever," retorted Squall dryly "We can still stop her. Where is the space port you talked me about?"

Before Piet could answer, another alarm beeped on the console near his head. The doctor frowned, tearing his gaze from Squall's face to the console. His eyes widened immeasurably once his mind registered the data displayed. "Oh, Hyne!" exclaimed the blond fearfully "The Lunar Cry has started!"

Squall's eyes narrowed further.

_More a reason to find Rosie quickly._

"Where is the port?" asked the brunet again.

Piet blinked in confusion. Hadn't this lad just heard what he said? There was going to be a damn Lunar Cry in mere minutes and he wanted to go out? Squall's impatient growl and icy stare cut off the doctor's train of thought.

"Uh… the port is in the crew's quarters," said the blond, figuring that if the SeeD wanted to get himself killed, there was nothing he could say to convince him otherwise. "Upstairs… in the same corridor as Ellone's room, but go right instead of left. You'll find the signals along the way."

Squall nodded and growled a 'take care of them' to the startled Irvine as he dashed outside the room.

ooo ooo

"I'm sorry, miss, but I can't let you thr–" the man's words died down as a bright flash enveloped his whole form. His pained screams echoed through the room, but went completely unheard by the raven-haired girl that casually stepped over his laying form.

Golden eyes settled on the numerous compartments around the place before walking towards the one adjacent to the port's entrance. Opening it with a flicker of her hand, she walked inside the small, compact space, her frame disappearing behind the door.

ooo ooo

Within seconds, the heaving Commander had already ran all the way through two flights of stairs and was now standing on the same long corridor that lead to the crew's quarters. His eyes deviated from the plaque he was reading to the oversized windowpane as he detected a crimson hue out the corner of his eyes.

His mouth opened slightly in awe as he gazed upon the terrifying spectacle. Beyond the Lunar Base's security, a blood-colored, tear-like blob was forming on the Moon's surface. Inside, hundreds – if not thousands – of monsters could be seen clustering in the narrow space. The Lunar Cry was indeed starting and Squall knew he didn't have much time.

Tearing his eyes from the ominous view, the brunet dashed down the walkway, taking a sharp turn and finally coming into view with a door labeled 'space port'. Opening it, his eyes narrowed when the faint, rancid smell of burnt flesh reached his nose. Quickly crouching beside the only corpse in the room, Squall was surprised to see the man was still alive, though he knew he wouldn't last long. Not with more than half of his body burnt.

"Where is the girl?" asked the brunet as he gently lifted the man's head.

"Sh-she… out… port," muttered the estharian, wetting non-existing lips before continuing in a ragged voice "Spacesuit… card… po-pocket"

As he said the last word, a large tremor racked his battered body and the estharian exhaled sharply before staying completely still. Squall closed his eyes briefly, depositing the corpse gently on the ground before searching the man's pockets. He found a small, trasluscent card he assumed was needed to open the compartments where the spacesuits were kept.

The brunet tried his luck on the nearest one, smirking a little as he was rewarded with a green light and clearance to access the suit. Quickly getting inside the compartment, Squall slipped the pants and boots on, both pieces adjusting automatically to fit his size. The upper segment and gloves were next, followed by the wide, dome-like helmet. The entire suit seemed to shift again, pressing against his frame to make itself vacuum-proof.

Several lights and indicators lightened on his helmet's surface, but Squall paid them no real heed. He only knew he had more than enough fuel and oxygen to get to Rosie and then back to the Base before the Lunar Cry hit them.

Taking a step out the compartment, the Commander was amazed by the lightness of the spacesuit. It was still a little uncomfortable, but at least he could move with relative ease. Squall ran to the airlock leading to the launch bay, stormy eyes narrowed as he gazed upon the huge structure. His heart froze as he detected a small figure floating towards the end of the tunnel and into the space beyond.

_Rosie!!_

He punched the control panel, ready to jump into the vacuum but was harshly pushed back inside the room by three arriving men.

"Seal that door!" ordered the tallest one, turning to his subordinates. The men complied and the port's exit closed immediately, leaving the raven-haired outside the Base.

"No!" protested Squall taking a step forwards "Rosie is still out there."

"I'm sorry, son," said the man shaking his head. The reflection of the room's lights fell onto his helmet, making it impossible for the Commander to make out more of his face than the dark green eyes meeting his in a sympathy-filled gaze, "But with the Lunar Cry coming, she won't survive."

Squall clenched his teeth, fighting the urge to punch the man in front of him. What the Hell did he know? He couldn't… he couldn't let her die just like that!

"Mr. President," said the second astronaut, gaining the attention of the taller man, the one Squall had been about to punch (and now was glad he didn't). "We have to evacuate, A.S.A.P."

The President nodded "You guys go ahead. I'll stay and oversee the evacuation."

The third man snorted "You kidding?" he shook his head and took the President's shoulders, pushing him towards the exit "There's no way we're leaving here without you."

"Hey, no!" protested the President trying to shake the other man's grip "I gotta stay!" the other astronaut took hold of the struggling man's legs and both carried him quickly out of the room.

Once alone in the room, Squall approached the sealed port's door and cursed under his breath as he tried to pry it open to no avail. His frown deepened when loud footsteps were heard behind him. Turning around, he found the panting President standing at the opened threshold.

"Hey, son!" called the man, waving to Squall "Take care of Ellone for me, okay?"

Before the brunet could reply, the President was tackled by one of his escorts and once again carried away kicking and screaming. Squall shook his head at the display.

The whole scene had reminded him strongly of Laguna.

Quickly dismissing the thoughts of the galbadian, the Commander turned around and ran down the corridor in the control room's direction. Maybe there was another way to get outside the Base, and surely Piet knew how.

"Squall!" the call of his name made him stop dead on his tracks. Ellone waved at him from the end of the corridor. Irvine was beside her, holding Piet's slouching frame, the doctor seeming weak from the blood loss.

"What are you doing here?" asked the brunet once he came close to the group.

Irvine nodded in a small corridor's direction "The evacuation capsules are over here. We have to get out o–" Ellone's sudden cry cut off the cowboy's words, making both men turn their attention to her.

"Oh, God!" exclaimed the dark-haired girl, looking at the wide windowpane separating them from the vastness of space. "Look!"

Squall's eyes followed her lead and widened once he detected the source of his Sis's bewilderment. A small figure was approaching Adel's Tomb, heedless of the giant crimson blob that was slowly getting to a critical point.

ooo ooo

In the coldness of the endless vacuum, golden eyes settled on the giant device. Just in front of her, laid one of the most powerful Sorceresses history had ever registered. The woman's frame was impressive, even though it had been 17 years since the last time this frozen body had ever moved.

Her eyes narrowed as she tried to feel Adel's magical aura, only to find a complete void. The raven-haired smirked. Truly this estharians had done a wonderful job in keeping their former ruler contained.

_Such a pity it won't last for much longer._

Using the turbines located in the heels of her boots, she approached the control panel on the right part of the Tomb. Prying open the lid, her hand closed around a group of cables.

_This looks important._ She thought, her smirk widening as she nonchalantly pulled the electronic devices, ripping them from their place. Immediately after, a _bzzz_ sounded and several columns of steam left the Tomb's perimeter as its insides lost the pressurized state which kept Adel under her heavy slumber.

_My task here is done…_ her fingers opened the small lid covering the oxygen reserve button. With a wide smile, the raven-haired pushed it, knowing very well the chances of survival for her current shell would increase.

She couldn't let this child die… yet.

ooo ooo

A sudden pull at the pitch of her stomach made her tremble. She felt herself being roughly pushed from the dark void she'd been living in to the material world in less than a heartbeat.

Inhaling sharply at the sensation, Rosie blinked in confusion when she detected the small blinking lights in her viewing field. Fear and dread filled her entire being once recognition hit her like a 2-ton Behemoth.

She was inside a spacesuit.

Gazing upwards, her eyes widened when her gaze locked with Adel's crimson one. The other Sorceress was still frozen in the same position she'd seen her adopt during the game, but the look in her eyes and the smirk on her face were definite signs of the powerful woman's awareness.

A reddish hue made Rosie's gaze shift from Adel's face to the giant blob reaching out in her general direction. Her startled cry was never heard as the bubble finally exploded, jetting the flow of monsters it had contained towards the Sorceress Tomb.

Raising her arms protectively before her face, the raven-haired closed her eyes, preparing for the impact.

ooo ooo

"ROSIE!!" Squall yelled as he watched Adel's confinement device being engulfed inside the rain of monsters. His eyes narrowed as he detected a weak light shinning in between the heavy flow.

His heart skipped a beat when he was able to look at the light's source. Rosie's frame was curled up in a fetal position and seemed to be protected by a shinning dome. However, before he could be relieved by the fact she was safe, her barrier snapped and her body was hurled away by the impact of the Tomb's right 'wing' against her frame.

"The flow is coming this way!" yelled Piet, snapping Squall out of his reverie. "We have to evacuate NOW!"

Ellone took the brunet's hand, "C'mon!" she urged as she pulled him along the small corridor. The Commander followed her absently, his mind focused only on the scene he'd witnessed. Rosie had been able to protect herself from the whole force of the Lunar Cry… but could she still be alive?

"_Squall!!"_

His heart froze and he almost tripped. That had been _her_ voice calling out for him.

The brunet's gaze shifted from Ellone's face to Irvine's and Piet's, all of them still focused on the small elevator leading to the escape pods. They didn't seem to have heard Rosie's voice…

He frowned.

_Am I going mad?_

As if to defy his sanity, the voice boomed in his head again.

"_God, I don't want to die here…" _

"_Please… someone…."_

"… _Squall, help me."_

His eyes narrowed. How could he hear her? Was it just a product of his mind? His answer came as a sudden memory flashed in his head. Edea's ruthless words echoing in the warm night in uptown Deling City as a massive crowd cheered her insults. She was controlling their minds, using her telepathic powers to project her will into the galbadian's heads.

Now that Rosie was a Sorceress, she might be able to cast her thoughts towards other people – namely, him – too…

And that meant she was still alive.

He felt Ellone push him inside the pod, felt the steel harness close around his body, keeping him securely in place as the small capsule rocketed from its position in the Lunar Base and into the vastness of space. He could hear the roaring of the metal as the sheer force of the Lunar Cry twisted the core of what was once Esthar's greatest achievement, turning the once beautiful facility into worthless junk.

ooo ooo

"Lunar Cry's mainstream incoming!" yelled a tech, looking at the screen. The whole control room had gone quiet, each and every one of the galbadian officers inside were completely stunned by the raw power of the rare phenomenon.

"Activate the Pandora's shields." ordered Seifer frowning.

Without a second thought, the technicians started typing directives into the system. The entire facility started shaking as the booming roar of the monster column entering the atmosphere surrounded them. Fujin and Raijin, along with the other galbadians, gazed amazed at the crimson rain that poured all around the Pandora's gigantic frame.

The main column had split as soon as it got in contact with the protective barrier the Crystal Pillar had generated around its case. A yellowish hue ran through the steel box like a river, its power increasing as a glowing point entered the atmosphere.

"Adel's Tomb…" muttered the blond smirking. Quickly turning to the techs under his command, he ordered "Display the Crystal's maximum power."

The glow increased. The ancient Centra artifact's innate gravity field made the falling device to slow down, just as the river of light split into many wire-like lines that grabbed the Tomb's perimeter, pulling it inside the core of Lunatic Pandora.

The lid Zell and the other SeeDs had seen as they were on the catwalk leading to the control room, opened and Adel's sealing device was lowered cautiously onto the upper part of the Pandora's main room.

The tremors died down slowly and Seifer's smirk widened. "Gentlemen, our especial guest has arrived."

ooo ooo

_Remaining Life support: 10 minutes._

Rosie's eyes narrowed as she read the blinking indicators in her helmet. At least, her oxygen reserves were good.

But that didn't mean she was celebrating just yet.

Looking to the void beyond, her heart sunk as she found herself floating aimlessly into the vacuum. She felt so tired…. so scared and alone… The coldness of space reminded her of the damned existence she'd undergone as Ultimecia used her body. The utter hopelessness she'd felt as she spent a seeming eternity living in lonely shadows.

Then a voice had filled her ears, warming her heart and returning hope to her for a precious – if short – moment.

"_Rosie….__"_

"… _C'mon, Rosie, wake up."_

She had found the strength to rise from her kneeling position, reaching out a hand towards the ray of light that tore through the pitch blackness of her existence. "Squall…"

"_Call my name, Rosie"_

_Squall__!! _She yelled mentally, hoping the brunet could hear her, but knowing the notion was plainly ridiculous. How was he going to hear her now when he hadn't been able to when she returned his hold on her hand? It had been weak, but that was all she could manage before Ultimecia punished her bold move with more torturous images.

And now she was here… trapped inside a spacesuit, drifting endlessly in a cold material void that had only replaced the immaterial prison she'd been confined into for Hyne-knew-how-many-time.

_God, I don't want to die here…_

She felt a tear run down her right cheek. Shivers racked her body as she remembered Rinoa's face when she tried to breathe non-existent air.

_Please… someone…._

Her tears increased when she realized there was no one around. Her survival, for the first time in her life, depended solely on her own abilities.

What could she do to save herself?

Raising her gloved hands to her face's level, the raven-haired wondered if she could be able to summon another spell like the barrier that had saved her from receiving the full force of the Lunar Cry. But what if she pierced her spacesuit by accident? She would die anyway.

Her pleas focused on the only person she could think of right now.

… _Squall, help me._

She closed her eyes.

Squall? What if he wasn't around? What if he wasn't the one who had brought her to the Lunar Base in the first place? Last time they had seen each other, was not in the best terms… and after their discussion inside Garden's bridge, he'd been fighting Seifer and didn't seem to mind she was disappearing inside the portal Edea had summoned.

What if he had deserted her?

What if she was truly alone?

Rosie whimpered. The Commander had never really opened up to her, so why in Hell would she expect him to come all the way here to save her?

_This is it…_ she thought in anguish. _I'm going to die._

ooo ooo

Irvine's head whipped in Squall's direction as the sound of the harness being removed reached his ears.

"What are you doing?" asked the cowboy frowning as he watched the brunet walk towards the ladder leading to the airlock separating the pod's interior from the cold void outside.

"I'm going to find her," was the muttered answer, one that made the auburn-haired man stiffen.

"Squall…" Ellone's soft voice made the Commander's head turn to regard her. The girl smiled warmly and nodded once her eyes met his, "Talk to her, Squall. Your words may not reach her, but your heart will. Have faith."

He nodded and turned again, stopping in mid-motion as Rosie's voice echoed in his mind once more.

"_This is it…" _

"_I'm going to die." _

His heart tightened at the despair behind her dreadful words. Frowning, Squall took hold of the ladder, starting his way upwards despite Piet's protests about his sanity. Stormy-eyes narrowed in determination as he pressed the button to isolate the pod from the airlock. Sparing a last glance at Ellone and Irvine – who had removed his harness as well and now stood below his position, tipping his hat as their eyes met – Squall opened the metallic lid that concealed him from the space beyond.

Climbing to the top, the brunet looked around. His heart made a somersault as he detected Rosie's frame floating far away from his position.

_There she is!_

Quickly checking his fuel and oxygen reserves, Squall counted his blessings. It seemed he had more than enough to get to her.

Exhaling deeply, the brunet leapt into the void.

ooo ooo

How she wished to see her parents again!

Confronted with the inevitable truth of her ultimate demise, Rosie realized the extent of her selfishness. Here she was, enjoying the life of SeeD and the friends she'd made without sparing a single thought about her family or friends back at home.

Surely they were sick with worry… and what had she done? Forget about them completely!

If only she'd found a way to make them know she was safe and happy, even if she were to never see them again! But no, she'd not cared about their state of mind. And now she was going to die and they would never know for sure what happened to her.

A bitter chuckle left her as she thought about her previous life, comparing her seemingly big problems to the situations she'd gone through the last months, all of which had led her to her current dilemma.

Right now her day-to-day life in high school was really appealing.

Despair flooded her again.

She didn't want to die, but what could she do?

She was afraid to use the powers she knew she'd acquired under Ultimecia's puppetry. The raw energy coursing through her veins was nothing like the magical power the GFs had granted her before. If she'd ever considered herself powerful with her limited spell stores and supernatural Guardians, Rosie realized now she had been far from knowing what true power was like.

The energy currently filling her entire being was boundless, aged and overwhelming. Frightening in its extent and unsettling in its malleability, the Sorceress abilities she unwillingly held could either be her salvation or damnation. And Rosie knew it.

More tears escaped her eyes.

Maybe this way was better. If she was to die here, then many conflicts would be spared… her friends wouldn't have to go through the battle against Ultimecia. There would be no more pain, no more doubt or fear…

But she was scared.

Terrified – in fact – of not existing anymore.

"_Don't give up."_

The voice that echoed in her head made her heart freeze. It couldn't be! She was going crazy, it was the only possible explanation.

_"I've got you, Rosie."_

It was then that she felt a heavy weight pressing against her back. Strong arms circled her shoulders and waist, taking her breath away.

She had to be dreaming.

Her hands clutched the arms holding her tightly against the solid body behind her, making Rosie close her eyes once the reality of _his_ presence hit her.

"Squall…"

ooo ooo

"Oh, my God!" exclaimed Quistis breathless as she looked at the scene beyond the small window.

The sky over Esthar had turned a sickening crimson hue as far as the eye could see. But definitely the worse part was the thousands of shapes that poured down heavens in the oddest –and most frightening – form of rain the blonde had ever seen.

"Shit!" cursed Zell between clenched teeth "The Lunar Cry is here."

Selphie's grip on the vehicle's wheel tightened. The SeeDs were very near the metropoli's southern entrance, thanks to the small car they'd 'borrowed' from the parking lot outside the Memorial's facility.

Having landed 50 meters away from the huge building after their failed attempt to stop the Pandora, the group had blessed their luck when they found a faster, and definitely more secure, way to return to the capitol.

"Hit the gas, Selphie," said the martial artist frowning at the sky "We gotta help the town's folks."

ooo ooo

She felt his grip tighten briefly before his hands settled on her shoulders and spun her around. Rosie smiled widely as she was able to look at Squall's handsome face again. Hyne! It felt as though a lifetime had already passed since the last time she was able to rejoice in the simple pleasure.

She raised a hand to touch his face, but was greeted instead by the hard, transparent plastic of his helmet. Biting her lower lip, Rosie couldn't help the tears that threatened to fall again as a thought flashed in her mind.

_He came for me._

Her heart's beating increased, but then froze when she detected an odd shinning surrounding Squall's frame. It was weak, but still she could detect the sparkles around him, each one charged with the characteristic aura of magic. Was this Ultimecia's doing? Was he indeed real and not a product of the Sorceress's twisted illusions?

A sudden warmth enveloping her hand interrupted her thoughts. Her eyes focused again, returning from the depths of her memories to stare directly into Squall's eyes. Just as back in the Training Center, his stoic expression was betrayed by the emotions his stormy gaze reflected. And the light brightening his normally cold stare was the only confirmation the raven-haired needed of his reality, for she knew Ultimecia's most skilled illusions would never be able to match the way he was looking at her now.

"You're really here," muttered Rosie, lost in the blue-grey depths "I'm not dreaming."

Squall's grip over her hand tightened as he nodded, his voice once more sounding inside her helmet. "We're not safe, though. We have to get back into the pod."

Though _how_ they were going to accomplish it was something the brunet didn't know. He barely had enough oxygen to keep going for another five minutes and even if it was enough time to accomplish the practically impossible task, his fuel reserves had almost run out completely. They will certainly not be enough to go back to the pod.

_Now what?_ Thought the Commander angrily. He had to come up with something to save themselves. _C'mon, dammit! Think! _

"We don't need to do that," her voice made Squall's attention to focus solely on her smiling face. She broke the eye-contact and started searching their surroundings with a small frown.

With a frown of his own, Squall followed her example, figuring she knew someone would come to aid them. His eyes narrowed further when he detected a huge, crimson form approaching their general direction at a fast speed. His right hand left Rosie's to settle at his side, stopping in mid-motion as he realized Revolver was concealed inside his suit.

"There it is!" exclaimed Rosie signaling at the thing he'd pinned out just a second ago. "The Ragnarok."

"Is that a ship?" asked the brunet once he managed a good look of the incoming structure. No wonder Squall's first instinct had been pulling out his gunblade to protect themselves at the sight of the large frame approaching. The so-called Ragnarok resembled more a gigantic dragon than it did the simple aircrafts he'd seen so far.

Rosie smiled "Yeah, courtesy of Esthar's laboratories."

Blue-grey eyes narrowed. Even though the ship's trajectory would bring it relatively close to their current position, they'd have to move to board it. "How are your fuel reserves?"

The raven-haired went slightly cross-eyed, much to Squall's amusement, as she read the blinking signs on her helmet. "Uhm… I have 2 units. I don't really know what that means, though."

The Commander nodded in understanding. She had even less fuel than him. "Don't worry." holding her close once more, Squall instructed "Once the ship is near, I need you to tap your heels together."

Rosie bit her lip and nodded, knowing better than to question the brunet's orders. Surely he already had a plan and she knew she'd follow him to Hell itself if he wanted to do so. The ship came slowly closer and she could feel Squall stiffen, readying to make his move.

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

"Now!" both teens ignited the small turbines in their respective suits, propelling themselves towards the incoming ship.

Rosie's eyes widened as they got closer and she was able to make out the finer details of the draconian ship. Though she had looked at the several images displayed on the internet, and had admired the Ragnarok's beauty during the game, none could make the estharian aircraft justice.

The stylized design of the ship made it resemble a powerful dragon in flight, the huge engines were covered by a couple of lids that could only be described at its 'wings'. The bridge she'd seen during the game was visible at the top of the ship's 'back', concealed within a thick, pressure-resistant, crystal dome. In between of the dragon's arms rested the large cannon she'd seen active during the SeeDs' assault on the Pandora's shield. And even though it wasn't active, Rosie couldn't suppress the shiver running down her spine at the memory of the weapon's immeasurable power.

Squall extended a hand, hoping to grab the hatch he'd detected mere seconds ago. As his fingers brushed against metal, the brunet gripped the small handle with all his might. Both teenagers sighed in relief as they came to a halt, but the feeling was short lived as Rosie's helmet started blinking repeatedly.

Her breath caught in her throat as she read the sign.

_Life support __remaining: 30 seconds._

"Squall..." her frightened voice cracked as she turned to look at him.

His eyes narrowed as he read the blinking warning. His hand grabbed the handle harder as he pulled the girl closer to him. Sparing a glance at her face, the brunet´s teeth clenched and he focused all his strength to pry open the spaceship´s hatch.

The unused entrance moved and the Commander counted his blessings while quickly getting inside the structure. As quickly as he could, Squall closed the hatch and scanned the nearby control panel, detecting a blinking button. Pressing it, both teens were rewarded by the binding sense of gravity as their frames descended to touch the steel floor.

Rosie hurriedly took off her helmet, immediately blessing the fresh breeze of circulating air greeting her. Taking a deep breath to steady her racing heart, she couldn't help the shiver running down her spine as she remembered the previous moments. She had once pitied Rinoa for her near-death experience back in the Presidential Palace and now she knew the desperate feeling of falling into oblivion knowing you may never see your loved ones again.

Fortunately, Squall had been there to prove her wrong.

She smiled slightly at the thought, lifting her face to watch the brunet as he freed himself from the confines of the spacesuit. Her eyes shimmered and she couldn´t help the tear escaping her right eye as she was blessed with the sight of his handsome face once more.

He seemed even more radiant than before, the slight sparkles she'd seen earlier were there dancing around his body and now that he didn't have the restriction of the spacesuit anymore, Rosie could actually _feel_ the different energies within the Commander's body. She could tell the variety of his spell's stock, as well as the intensity of each one. But the most disturbing part was the fact she could feel the presence of the Guardians protecting him, each one acknowledging her with a whispered greeting.

She frowned in thought. Was this part of her new condition?

Squall watched her watch him back in silence, his heart finally settling down from its previous furious pace.

The raven-haired frowned vaguely, making him wonder what was going on inside her head at that moment. However, before he could question Rosie about it, her brow smoothed and she beamed him a smile that made a huge weight lift from his shoulders. It had been too long since the last time she'd directed that simple, yet beautiful gesture at him… not since they were in Trabia.

Squall frowned. Had it really been _that_ long?

Well, it had been his own fault.

But now that he was allowed to have this second chance, the brunet knew he'd be damned if he didn't do whatever was in his power to atone for his mistakes.

Squall was pulled out of his reverie as Rosie moved. His eyes narrowed in confusion and he was unable to lift even a muscle as soft arms closed slowly around his neck before her head tilted to the side to rest on his left shoulder.

Rosie had moved very slowly, giving him the chance to retreat if he wanted to, unlike the other times when she'd practically tackled him without offering him the choice. Her soul took flight when the brunet remained in his spot, allowing her touch though not participating.

Her eyes closed in pleasure as she inhaled his musky scent and basked in the warmth of his proximity.

Right now, his acceptance was enough.

A long, silent minute passed and as she was about to pull away, the raven-haired found herself suddenly stunned. Dark eyes shot open when she felt strong, warm arms circling her shoulders and waist. The loose hold became suddenly tighter as Squall pulled her closer and she could feel his face burying in her hair. Grinning like a fool, Rosie returned the strong embrace, tears running down her face at the sudden notion that this time the stoic Commander was holding her too.

ooo ooo

The capsule started shaking as it broke through the planet's atmosphere.

Irvine clenched his teeth and closed his eyes tightly, preparing for the collision. Although Piet had assured them the estharian technicians had worked a long time to make the escape pods secure and smooth in their landing, the cowboy couldn't help but cringing as the capsule rotated in its place before sharply diminishing its speed.

"See?" said the blond smiling weakly "I told you, there was nothing– " his words were cut off as the humming from the turbines died down suddenly and the capsule kept falling with increased speed.

A heartbeat later, Ellone's frightened scream was the last thing the cowboy knew before his whole body shook violently as the pod collided with the estharian plains.

ooo ooo

"Seems we arrived," muttered the man at his right as the humming of the turbines slowly died down and the capsule's gentle trembling subsided gradually until it stayed completely still.

The President smiled at the familiar tone, the gesture widening once he returned to the memories of the face he'd finally seen in the last hour.

Who would have thought Fate could be that tricky? Taking away what he'd cherished the most only to shove a part of his past back in his lap.

A part of his past a week ago he hadn't even know existed.

His thoughts, however, were interrupted by the voice of his most loyal advisor and friend. "We better return to the capitol A.S.A.P."

The President turned to look at the man and nodded. Seemed his intended reunion with the SeeD would have to wait, "Yeah, I know. Hyne help us if the Lunar Cry has reached the city."

ooo ooo

Squall was stunned. He wasn't expecting himself to move as he did, to hold the raven-haired so definitely, but at the feeling of her pulling away, his own need for proximity clouded his better judgment.

Still, he didn't regret it.

His heart beat at a fast pace as he rested his cheek over her head. Stormy eyes opened and gazed at the vast void beyond the small window.

The Commander frowned.

Even though they had managed to get inside the spaceship, a dreadful feeling kept nagging at the back of his mind. Something was definitely not right. Why hadn't anyone come to greet them? And why had the ship been drifting like that in the first place?

His answer came as a low roar, followed by dull rumbling sounded somewhere beyond the door. His stance tensed as he let go of Rosie, his right hand immediately grabbing Revolver's hilt. "How are your junctions?"

Her attention shifted from a nearby blinking panel to the more entrancing sight of the brunet's cold steel eyes. "I... I have no GFs. Seifer took Quetzalcoatl and I gave Carbuncle to a little girl named Rachel."

The Commander nodded "Yeah, I know. Joan has it now." without further word, he extended his arm in her direction and when the raven-haired tilted her head to the side with evident confusion on her face, he added "Give me your hand."

Rosie complied and instantly felt a powerful energy leave Squall and enter her, filling her entire being with a fiery sensation. As the Guardian settled down in her mind, she looked at him and chuckled, "Cerberus?"

The Commander shrugged "You said you like dogs."

"True" Rosie smiled and deviated her gaze to the floor, trying to hide the blush covering her cheeks. She couldn't believe he'd remembered her comment. Hyne, it had been months ago!

"Besides," said Squall settling his eyes on the door "You'll need it."

She nodded, biting her lower lip as she remembered what laid beyond the threshold, "There are 8 monsters on board this ship," said Rosie gaining the brunet's gaze "We have to kill them by pairs. Each pair has a color and we have to kill one immediately after the other, if not, the partner of the dead one can revive it."

"Do you know where each one is?"

"Yeah."

Squall's grip on Revolver tightened as he motioned Rosie to follow him "Okay. That saves us time then."

The raven-haired took a deep breath, her fast heartbeat was muffled by the low _bzzz_ the electronic door made as it opened. Squall scanned the revealed room, noticing they were in the second floor. The room they'd been previously at was connected to the main body of the ship by a catwalk raising 5 meters above what appeared to be a cargo bay. At the end of the narrow passage laid a steeled door and at its right, a long stairway leading to the lower level.

Squall started walking carefully along the catwalk, crouching low as he moved so his footsteps didn't shatter the dead silence of the room. Rosie hurried behind him, grabbing his arm and gaining his attention as she kneeled and motioned him to be quiet before signaling downwards.

A shuffling beneath their position made Squall's frown deepen. Carefully crouching beside the raven-haired, he followed the track of the monster that was making the noise with his eyes. The creature soon came into view, startling both teenagers.

Rosie never thought the Propagators could actually be that… well, ugly.

The creature was easily taller than Squall by a couple of feet, slender in its constitution, though the muscles in each of its 4 legs spoke about its strength. Neither teen knew how exactly to describe the monster, but a detail that didn't escape them was the line of long and sharp-looking fangs that adorned what appeared to be the Propagator's snout.

The Commander watched as the monster sluggishly walked across the room. His eyes narrowed. Seemed the thing hadn't heard them at all. Glancing to his right, he noticed a door.

The raven-haired shook her head "Don't bother. It's locked."

"Survivors?" asked Squall turning to look at her.

"No. Those things didn't leave anyone alive."

His frown deepened. Seemed they had no other choice than going downstairs, straight to where the weird creature was and risk being attacked by it. Remembering what the raven-haired said about the monsters being paired, Squall turned to look at Rosie, "Shall we kill this one first?"

She bit her lip in thought. Her mind reeled, trying to remember where exactly the twin of this particular monster was. If her memory didn't fail her, there was another monster inside the next room, one they'd have to outrun to get to the pair of this Propagator.

Finally, Rosie nodded. She didn't feel confident enough right now to go monster hunting, but she figured it couldn't be helped either.

"C'mon." said Squall, motioning her to follow his lead. The SeeD moved as stealthily as possible towards the end of the catwalk. A quick glance at the door's locking device confirmed Rosie's words. His eyes narrowed when he read the reason for the door's current condition: _Biohazard menace._

_No kidding… _thought the Commander tearing his gaze from the blinking red letters to the room below. The shuffling sound made by the monster as it aimlessly wandered through the wide space grew louder as the teens made their way down the staircase. Squall pressed his back against the wide railing as he set foot on the floor and turned his head to the right, looking at the Propagator through narrowed eyes.

The creature was currently on the other side of the wide room and seemed to be staring off to space. The brunet counted his blessings, at least the monster seemed dumb and slow.

Well, that definitely worked for them.

"We'll–" he'd barely formed the word, when the Propagator growled and spun in its place before moving towards the stunned teens. A second later, Squall raised Revolver to parry the incredibly powerful punch the creature sent him.

He couldn't believe the speed of the monster! Despite its huge frame and obvious weight, the Propagator moved with a cat's agility, sending vicious punches towards the brunet. The Commander's sharp, silver blade flashed and a heartbeat later a large, purple arm flew across the room. Sickening, yellow liquid started pouring from the injury, but the creature paid it no heed and kept its attack on Squall.

The telltale sizzling from magic was music for his ears as Rosie seemed to finally come out of her stunned state. The Propagator tumbled backwards as its upper body was impaled by three golden lances. Its vicious growl died in its throat as Squall jumped and turned in midair, raising Revolver. Yellowish blood splashed on the nearby wall before the heavy frame of the creature collapsed and its now severed head rolled to the left.

"You ok?" asked Squall turning to glance at Rosie, who was looking at her hands.

Her dark eyes met his and she gave a single nod while lowering her hands at her sides. All she had tried to do was getting the monster away from the Commander and the resulting attack was nothing close of what she'd envisioned. How was she going to control these new powers?

Squall nodded back, "Well, where we go now?"

ooo ooo

Rinoa frowned as she glanced at the horizon.

The breeze caressed her face as she stood on Balamb Garden's second floor's deck. Glancing at her right, the raven-haired was able to see the graceful frame of Trabia Garden, moving along with their base as both SeeD Academies kept their journey east.

Sighing, her eyes returned to the approaching dark mountains surrounding the Estharian continent. For what Xu had told her during breakfast, they expected to arrive to the reclusive nation's territory by the morrow's eve. And for what the raven-haired girl had seen during that day, the SeeDs expected a lot of trouble at their arrival.

Cid – and Rinoa was sure Ana too – had ordered a full-state alert, making every student and SeeD at Garden to be on their toes the whole day.

Though truth be told, she highly hoped it was not necessary.

However, as her dark brown eyes glanced at the sky and the sickening crimson hue it had acquired during the last two hours, Rinoa knew deep in her heart that the worst part of this entire conflict had barely begun.

ooo ooo

A couple of gunshots boomed through the room, replacing the loud, guttural cries of the dying Propagator. The monster collapsed and slowly melted away, leaving a stinky, dark mush on the floor.

Rosie sneered as the last of the alien creatures met its demise at Squall's gunblade. She had been surprised the first time the huge, bulky bodies had turned into a black mass, the sight first appearing once the teens had managed to kill the twin of the first Propagator.

A loud beeping behind them made both SeeDs turn. Squall approached the lift Rosie told him lead to the bridge and sighed relieved as he detected the small light in the control panel had turned from its original red hue to a bright green color.

"Seems its unlocked," said the Commander stepping on the small elevator.

The raven-haired nodded and smiled as she walked to join him on the lift. Her eyes scanned the room once more before Squall activated the unused device and both teens started their slow, silent ascent.

ooo ooo

"Sir, we're picking a radio transmission."

The galbadian's statement made Seifer's green eyes leave Adel's frame to settle on the soldier. "A radio transmission? Are you sure?"

The trooper nodded "Yeah, positive, sir. The techs have checked twice already."

The Knight bowed before the powerful woman still encased inside the Tomb's remnants and turned around, descending the small ladder the galbadians had placed in order to reach the Sorceress's chamber. His mind reeled.

How could they be receiving radio waves?

They hadn't been used in 17 years and usually required a lot of effort and time to make them work. Deling had showed them just that a couple of months ago…

Why this all of a sudden then?

Stepping inside the control room, jade eyes narrowed as he listened to the message. The soft, feminine voice reverberated through the chamber, charming the soldiers gathered there, as all of them seemed entranced by the low tone.

"_Please, if someone is hearing this, we need help."_

_"Our pod crashed and… and doctor Piet needs medical assistance."_

"_Irvine is unconscious… please… please, someone, help us."_

Seifer's frown deepened. He **knew** that voice…

… But, from where?

"_This is Ellone Loire, if someone hears me, please…"_

The young woman's voice was replaced by various gasps and exclamations of her name, all of them interrupted by a deep chuckle. Seifer's laughter died down as he shook his head in utter disbelief.

Seemed Lady Luck was on their side, after all.

"Gentlemen," said the Knight smirking, his voice raising above Ellone's, "Let's not make the lady wait."

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author's note:_

_Hiya! I'm back!_

_And this time you gotta admit it was sooner than I normally update :D _

_I hope you like this chappie and I sincerely hope it wasn't too corny for your tastes. You know how I tend to be XD Hopeless romantic! I gotta confess that the little scene between Rosie and Squall was written a while ago, I just had to modify some (well, a lot of, in fact) things to make it fit here :D_

_  
Enjoy the result!_

_As always, thanks to all my dear reviewers XD Dagger, dear, thanks for the congrats on my graduation :D And thanks for your marvelous review! You are so encouraging, my dear! Really!_

_This chapter is dedicated to a very good friend of mine. One that has been with me all the way since this adventure started and whose eternal support and fate in me has made me try to be a better writer. My dear Beta, and friend, this is for you._

_Happy birthday, honey! (I know, I know, still 3 days to go… but I couldn't wait XD)_

_Well, gotta go! I'll see you guys the next chapter :)_

_Love ya all,_

_Celestial Rage_


	67. Chapter 67 For you I will

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 67: For you I will**

By CelestialRage

The metallic doors opened with a _whoosh_ and the teens stepped into the huge cockpit. Rosie's eyes soon left the blinking controls to replace them with the blanket of shimmering stars, a wide smile spreading through her features at the incredible beauty of the diamonds attached to the dark vastness of space.

Squall's frown deepened as he walked to the controls. Folding his arms, he glanced at the large quantity of buttons and levers, wondering how in Hell was he going to fly the ship back to Earth.

A sudden beeping cut short his thoughts and he turned around to face the sound's source. Stormy eyes narrowed as he settled them in a blinking yellow button.

"I really think you should answer that one." said Rosie smiling at his cautious actions.

The shadow of a smile formed on his lips as he glanced at her out the corner of his eyes.

Hyne, had he missed her!

Shaking his head a little, the Commander pressed the button and was immediately stunned when a male voice echoed through the cabin.

"_This is Esthar Airstation. Lunar Base__'s pods, do you read?"_

Squall turned to look at Rosie, whose smile grew even wider as their eyes met. They could go home! The brunet returned his attention to the communication device, seemed that with the fall of Adel's tomb, the radiowave interference was finally over and the signal was able to reach them this far off in space.

"This is the–," he turned to look at the raven-haired who mouthed the ship's name for him, "–Ragnarok. Airstation, do you read?"

"_Whoa! Is this really the Ragnarok?"_ the male voice was suddenly joined by sounds of surprise, footsteps and chairs falling as the other people working at the Airstation approached the man speaking, _"It's been seventeen years since we last heard from you. You are in space, right?"_

"Indeed," replied Squall nodding, "We're survivors from the Lunar Base's incident who managed to get inside the ship, but we have no clue on our coordinates."

"_Don't worry, we can track you from here."_ The sound of skilled hands working quickly on a keyboard reached them through the radio, _"Erm... yeah, there you are. Ragnarok, we've established your current position, it seems the trip will take you half a day more or less. All you have to do is enter the data in the atmospheric reentry program and you'll be just fine. Are you in the pilot's seat?"_

"Which one is it?" asked Squall glancing at the other 3 seats in the cabin.

"_Front of the bridge, right side."_

The Commander quickly vaulted himself over the seat, "I'm here, now what?"

"_Tell me the numbers on the right top of the screen__,"_ frowning, Squall did as told before the male voice was heard again, _"I see. Seems you have enough fuel. Now, there's a touch panel in front of you, a holographic keyboard is displayed in the lower part of the screen. Do you see it?"_

"Yeah."

_"Well, now all that's left is for you to enter the following data: WJHEIE/"_

"Entered." replied Squall as his fingers flew across the keyboard.

_"Then... 2872/HD-IEU"_

"Ready."

_"No errors?"_

Squall frowned. When he said it was ready, he meant it. Otherwise, he would have asked the guy to repeat the data again, "It's fine."

_"Good. Now press the large red button next to panel. That will activate the autopilot system. Oh! Before I forget, you should deactivate the gravity generator. You'll save more fuel that way. Its control is the small lever just below the autopilot."_

Squall pressed the red button first, a small yelp coming from behind made him turn to look at Rosie, who was clinging to a nearby seat as the ship rocked slightly before rotating in a 40 degrees angle to its right, the white-gray surface of the Moon replaced by the sight of the larger blue, white and green sphere they called home.

Once the Ragnarok stopped its positioning, Rosie made her way quickly to Squall's side, settling down just across him in the co-pilot's seat. The brunet nodded at her before grabbing the small lever and pulling it down. Immediately after, their bodies left the soft surface they were resting at and the raven-haired smiled at the strange feeling the lack of gravity provoked in the pit of her stomach.

The male voice was heard again, _"You're home free, Ragnarok. Welcome back to Earth... and from everyone here at Ground Control, we wish you Godspeed."_

"Thanks." replied Squall, relaxing a little against the back of his seat as the radio went mute. Turning to look at his companion, the brunet's frown deepened when he noticed her head bent down so that her bangs covered her face.

"Rosie?" his low voice made her heart clench in a tighter fist. Nervously biting her lower lip, the raven-haired wondered how to address the current situation with him. If she'd learned something, that was not keeping secrets from the Commander...

But what will he say of her new 'condition'?

Last time she'd confessed something regarding her true self, his reaction hadn't been pretty at all. And the last thing she wanted was to repeat the torturous episode right now, especially with them being alone and far away in space for at least half a day.

Her thoughts were cut off when the sudden touch of warm leather against her skin made her heart skip a beat. His fingers grabbed her chin, gently forcing her to turn her face in order to acknowledge the now kneeling brunet's presence.

"You ok?" asked Squall, his voice making Rosie's eyes fill with tears that threatened to fall. She hadn't heard that less-hardened tone to his normally cold voice in such a long time...

Hyne! She had missed him so much!

The sharp pain in her chest returned at the thought that she would most likely lose him again once she settled enough to tell him who, or rather _what_ she had become.

ooo ooo

Zell barely dodged the white, magical sphere the devilish-looking monster had cast his way. The Imp gave a weak cry before finally collapsing and staying completely still, its reddish skin now exhibited several burns from Quistis's laser eyes.

The martial artist nodded in the other blonde's direction before returning his gaze at the large road ahead of them. Esthar city's once peaceful streets were now roaming with the monsters the Lunar Cry had brought and despite the combined efforts of the estharian militia and the SeeD squad, the quantity of creatures seemed to not have diminished in the least.

The sound of the heavy rocket launcher Selphie had been carrying being fired caught Zell's attention and he turned in time to see the large projectile leave the weapon's cannon and fly towards a tall, blue-armored monster. The Iron Giant was enveloped in the blast, its huge frame disappearing behind the thick, smoky curtain.

"Woo-hoo!" exclaimed Selphie bouncing in place and shouldering the large rocket launcher as though it wasn't heavier than her trademark nunchakus.

Zell grinned at the brunette's antics, his smile soon disappearing as a humming sound above their position gained his attention. The small aircraft's side-door opened and a familiar face smiled in greeting.

Vaugham's voice rose over the noise, "Glad I was able to find you!" the Minister turned to look inside the vehicle and said something to the pilot before returning his eyes to the SeeDs, "Get in! I have to get you back to the Presidential Palace."

"What for?" asked Zell, watching as the small aircraft descended slowly, "We're more useful here, don't you think?"

The Minister smiled, "I know and we thank you for your help, but there's something else you have to tend to."

ooo ooo

The sight of her shimmering eyes made his heart ache. Seemed that no matter what he did, he only brought Rosie pain. Before he could begin to apologize for every single stupid thing he'd done to make her feel this way, the Commander was stunned when – instead of knocking aside his hand as he had expected – the raven-haired leaned into his touch, closing her eyes as a tear fell down her left eye.

Squall's mind rushed with images of Rosie lying comatose in the infirmary and the despair that had invaded his whole body like a cancer. The plea he'd made for a chance to speak to her again flashed in his mind and stormy eyes narrowed in determination before he placed his other arm around her shoulders to bring her close to him.

Rosie's eyes widened at the Commander's move, her body tensing briefly as he pulled her from her seat to the floor beside him, both teenagers floating in a sitting position mere inches above the steel surface. The raven-haired whimpered slightly as Squall held her close and placed his cheek on top of her head. Resting her head on his right shoulder, Rosie softly returned the hold, snaking her arms around the brunet's neck while tears ran down her face at his unusual display and the fear that he would break the contact once she'd told him the truth.

"Why are you crying?"

Rosie only held him tighter in response.

Sighing inaudibly, the Commander closed his eyes, deciding the best he could do right now was to simply be there for her. She'd tell him everything he needed to know in time. Right now, she seemed to need his proximity and not his words.

Blue-grey eyes gazed into the vastness of space as he mused about his readiness at letting the raven-haired hold him like that... or him daring to hold her like this. A very small smirk ghosted past his lips at the thought that a month ago, he would have surely pulled away from such a situation.

The memory of the kiss he'd stolen back in the Training Center played for his mind's eye as well as the questions his behavior had elicited. Now, he could at least say he understood the reason for his unusual stunt: the same that had been the motion of every single decision concerning Rosie since the moment he realized how much she meant to him.

He couldn't help what he felt, couldn't deny it or avoid it. But still, he was afraid of admitting the feeling aloud. Squall didn't believe in words to describe what was going on in his heart... it was not something common – at least not for him – and he didn't want his inability to express his emotions to diminish its significance.

A deep fear engulfed him when he realized he'd allowed himself to be drawn into a relationship with the raven-haired... the terms of which were still blurry, but the core existed and thus his attachment to her.

But, what the Hell did he know about relationships? He'd avoided them his whole life and now...

Stormy eyes narrowed in determination.

He didn't know what the future would bring or if his inability to remain closed to the girl in his arms would eventually be the cause of his demise.

All Squall Leonhart knew for certain was he wanted and _needed_ to feel this way.

ooo ooo

Ana's eyes widened as she settled them on the incredible view beyond Trabia Garden's bridge. Both facilities had already flown over the salt flats that seemed to extend for miles on end. However, after a couple of hours of nothing more than grayish grounds in the horizon, the SeeDs were astonished by the sheer beauty and impressiveness of the city before them.

Esthar's magnificence was way beyond imagination.

"Ma'am…" called a young man, making Ana's eyes leave the approaching blue city to settle on the SeeD's face, "We are getting a radio transmission."

The Headmistress frowned. A radio transmission? How was that possible? And how on Earth did they manage to get inside SeeD's coded channels?

"Switch it on," ordered Ana, nodding in the com's direction.

The SeeD saluted and turned to face the device. A second later, a familiar voice filled the room, making the beautiful brunette smile in relief as the mystery on how the message was able to slip past the Garden's secured network was solved.

" –_mitt, SeeD ID: BG1607-1211. I repeat, this is Selphie Tilmitt, SeeD ID BG1607-1211…"_

The Headmistress flipped a control, "This is Trabia Garden's Headmistress, Ana Tilmitt," the professional tone of her voice changed to something far less cold, "It's good to hear you, Selphie."

Ana could practically see the smile on the other brunette's face as her cheery voice filled the bridge again, _"Annie! Oh, I'm so happy to hear you!" _another voice, lower and definitely calmer, sounded in the background briefly before Selphie returned her attention to the transmission, _"Ok, I'm going to be very brief, Annie, or else Quisty here is going to kill me. Esthar city is being attacked by a horde of monsters carried here by the Lunar Cry and we need all the help we can get right now."_

Numerous gasps echoed in the cabin at the news. None of the SeeDs present had lived long enough to see the effects of a Lunar Cry, but the stories their elders had told them about the rare phenomenon were terrifying to say the least.

The Headmistress frowned.

Seemed they would be facing a lot more than simply the galbadian army as she had assumed. Her eyes returned to the approaching city, bathed in a sickening crimson light coming from the sky.

The entire scene spoke of an ill omen, but Ana knew that there was no turning back. SeeD was already involved in the conflict and they had come all the way here to support her sister's team in their mission. The upcoming battle was as much her fate as Selphie's and there was no way she would leave her sister alone again.

"Don't worry, Selph," the Headmistress said, gaining the other SeeDs' attention, "We'll arrive to the city in half an hour."

ooo ooo

"Counselor Hardin, sir, here are the preliminary results," said a technician handing the white-robed man his report, "For what we've manage to gather from the rescued survivors, it seems a Sorceress was the cause of the Lunar Base's incident. She freed Adel and the Tomb fell somewhere near the Lunatic Pandora's position. We believe it was the galbadian's primal target."

The Counselor's eyes widened, "A Sorceress?! How on Earth did she manage to get inside the Base?"

"The SeeDs that doctor Odine met this morning were the ones who got her there, sir," the tech handed him another report, "According to doctor Marius, Odine was the one who prepared her for the launch with presidential authorization."

"So the President _knew_ of the Sorceress?" growled Hardin frowning. Seemed the man was even stupider than the Counselor had ever thought possible.

The tech shook his head, "I don't think so, sir. Why would the President allow a Sorceress near Adel? It doesn't make any sense…"

Hardin remained silent, looking at the information he held. His frown deepened when he readthe SeeD Commander's name. – _Leonhart… where have I heard that name before? – _realization hit him like a two-ton Behemoth when a sudden memory played for his mind.

The faction he'd been leading until the moment _he_ and his friends came to Esthar had managed to win the war against the ruthless ruler of the country, casting her to the deepest bowels of space. _He_ had said he wanted to return home with the little girl Odine and Adel had been experimenting with… home to a woman with the same last name as the SeeD Commander.

Coincidence?

The Counselor didn't believe in such a thing.

He was the kind of man that suspected of everyone and everything, always critic… always paranoid…

… And always plotting.

Since the President had 'stole' a leadership position Hardin considered rightfully his, the man held a grudge against the usurper. And now, life gave him the perfect opportunity to claim a title that had always been meant for him.

The Counselor wanted to laugh. What a delicious irony! The President's innocent intent of helping the SeeD Commander would be the cause of his demise.

"Counselor?" the tech's voice shook Hardin out of his reverie, "Sir, are you alright?"

The man shook his hand vaguely, dismissing the other's concerned tone and setting his plan in motion, "I'm fine. But we must do something about this Sorceress and her allies."

An eyebrow rose in confusion, "Allies, sir?"

Hardin's expression turned darker, "Think about it! Everyone who was at the Lunar Base might be under the Sorceress's influence. Those witches have the ability of manipulating people at will… The last we can allow is for Esthar to have another ruler like Adel!"

The technician remained silent for a minute, worry evident in his face. Finally, the man wetted dry lips and asked, "What about the President, sir?"

The Counselor shook his head and placed his hand on the tech's shoulder, "I'm afraid he might be under her control too. You said it yourself, his decision of allowing another Sorceress near Adel knowing that she could be freed makes no sense otherwise," his voice turned almost sad as he added, "It pains me deeply, but he is not trusty anymore."

"What should we do, sir?"

Hardin closed his eyes, trying to remain as calm as his giddiness allowed him. Finally he would be able to get rid of the usurper and claim the title that was rightfully his! And all in a single day!

"Leave the rest to me, my friend," said the Counselor after a minute, "The Council will take control of the government while we determine the President's state of mind," Hardin turned to leave, his tall frame stopping just before the now opened door, "Keep monitoring the escape pods' positions. We need to get rid of any possible threat…"

The tech's eyes widened, "Sir, you're not suggesting–?!"

"I'm afraid so," muttered the man in a sympathetic tone, turning around so he could see the other estharian, "I'll talk with General Mitchell. He is loyal to the Council and will surely see that this unpleasant task is taken care of," turning again to face the door, the Counselor smirked.

With his overly influential position inside the Council, he would surely be appointed to rule the country while his loyal men 'examined' the President. And once his friend Mitchell had gotten the annoying man and his loyal Advisors and Ministers out of the way, Hardin's own personal would overtake the government.

The only thing that bothered him was the now freed Sorceresses… though he figured if the moronic President had been able to seal Adel and keep her in confinement for over a decade, the task couldn't be _that_ hard to repeat. Especially since the elder Sorceress was surely weakened thanks to her long, cold slumber.

His eyes narrowed. - _But the other one…_

"Tell all Airstation units to keep a especial search for this…" Hardin's eyes wandered through the report, finally finding the Sorceress's name, "… Rossane Bennett. Inform Mitchell as soon as you find her," his smirk returned, "She must be seized and exterminated at once."

ooo ooo

Rosie didn't know – nor cared – how much time had passed since Squall had pulled her into his embrace, both teenagers sharing a complete silence after his last question. Her tears finally dried and she remained there, clutching onto him tightly in fear he'd disappear any second. The only sounds reaching the raven-haired right now were the steady breaths of the Commander and his strong heartbeat right next to her.

The memory of Ultimecia's deranged illusion returned to haunt her and Rosie couldn't help the shiver running down her spine at the memory of the clutching force of the witch's embrace disguised like her beloved brunet.

But it wasn't her this time.

The raven-haired's heart doubled its pace at the thought that this was really _Squall _holding her. And the best thing was he was doing it for no other reason than he wanted to.

Her wide smile vanished as another thought entered her mind.

He was holding her, yes. But would he do so after knowing of her new and potentially dangerous powers?

A sudden image flashed in her mind, making a chill run down her spine. The man at the Airstation had been the one to tell the Commander of Rinoa's powers in the game and the last Rosie wanted was for the brunet to know about her being a Sorceress from the same source. Hyne only knew how bad his reaction would be if he happened to know from someone different than herself.

Taking a deep breath to still her racing heart, Rosie bit her lower lip briefly before finally daring to break the deep, peaceful silence enveloping them like a warm cover.

"Squall..." her voice made the Commander's attention shift from the thoughts filling his mind to the girl in his arms. Moving his head to a position in which he could watch her face, the brunet's grip on the raven-haired tightened for a second in silent acknowledge.

His frown deepened slightly as she tilted her head up and her eyes locked with his in a frightened stare.

"I have something to tell you..."

The familiar words incited a foreboding feeling in him. Last time she'd spoken those same words, the information was more than he could process. Focusing on her eyes and clearly seeing the fear within the brown depths, Squall cursed himself for it. Of course she would be scared of telling him whatever was bothering her! With the way he had reacted last time, it was a miracle she was still willing to open up to him.

Silently, Squall tightened his hold slightly to reassure her, vowing to stand strong beside her, no mattering what she was about to tell.

Taking strength from his hold, Rosie decided to drop the bomb as quickly as possible, hoping the successive reaction wouldn't be as bad as she feared, "When I was in that coma… Ultimecia did something to me," she bit her lip nervously, "Squall, I... I am a–"

"–Sorceress," the word was spoken by two voices at the same time, the brunet suddenly realizing the reason for her troubled state. At the girl's stunned reaction, he nodded calmly before saying, "I know."

She was about to ask how, but the memory of her telling him about Rinoa's fate after the outcome in Galbadia Garden's battle flashed in her mind. Of course he could add two plus two! Instead, a more important question left her lips as she suddenly realized he was holding her even when he knew of her accursed condition, "And..." her eyes left his face for a second before settling on the blue-gray orbs once more, "... you don't mind?"

A very small, yet very real, smile graced his lips and Rosie was again completely shocked by the gesture, "No, I don't."

Tears filled her eyes once more, though this time for an entirely different reason. Her heart sang with joy and she couldn't help the incredibly wide grin spreading through her face or the overwhelming relief she felt. Her arms closed once more around his neck and the raven-haired's heart skipped a beat when she realized she'd come so close to his face they were practically breathing the same air.

Stunned for a moment, she could only stare into the blue-grey depths she'd longed for so long, now awe-inspiring as they shinned with normally hidden emotions.

Her lips tingled slightly at the brief memory of the kiss in the Training Center, one she hadn't been able to either enjoy fully or reciprocate and, before she knew what she was doing, Rosie broke the eye contact as her eyelids descended and she closed the brief distance between them.

ooo ooo

The President and his loyal Advisor practically ran down the hall leading to the War Room.

Stealing a glance at the view beyond the Presidential Palace's windows, the man couldn't believe his once peaceful and beautiful city was now in an utterly catastrophic state. The sound of explosions and gunfire could be heard even in the interior of the guarded building, while several columns of dark smoke rose over the battlefield, reaching the crimson clouds.

But the worst sight of all was the one the President had witnessed from the small aircraft that had been deployed to retrieve him and his counselors from the place their capsule landed, a few miles from the metropolis. The plains surrounding Esthar's capitol were infested with monsters, forming a colorful, but sickening, agglutinated mass that moved like a swarm towards the city.

The sound of a nearby door opening and a voice calling out for him, however, made his mind return to the present, "Mr. President!"

He turned on his heels and smiled slightly as he watched the Minister of Foreign Affairs walk in his direction. "Alexander, what news do you have for me?"

Vaugham smiled back and bowed slightly in the man's direction, "I'm afraid I don't have many details on how our defense is holding up, Mr. President. However, I have good news."

The man standing next to the Estharian leader raised a dark eyebrow, "Is that so?"

"Only if you don't consider SeeD's help a good new, Advisor Seagul," finished the Minister with a smile.

The President's eyes widened "SeeD? How many?"

The Minister motioned to one of the big windows, "Two huge mobile bases that are approaching the city as we speak, sir."

"I see," a smile spread through the estharian leader's face, "Please tell SeeD's CEOs that Esthar is in great debt with them."

Vaugham bowed slightly, his reply completely forgotten as the door leading to the War Room opened and a bulky man emerged from the interior. The trademark electronic voice made both the President and his Advisor smile, "Well, about time you two returned."

Seagul smirked, "Aww, feeling lonely?"

The tallest man grinned, but his good humor was lost as the blast of an explosion reminded him of the city's current dilemma, "We have more important things to worry about. You better come and see this," said Minister Zabac leading the other men to the interior of the War Room. Motioning towards a wide screen in the right, he explained, "Those are the zones where we've detected more activity from the monsters. Although I've deployed our forces to these points, the quantity of enemies is far beyond our first calculus."

The President frowned at the numerous blinking red dots and felt the slight tingle in his leg that preceded his nervous cramps, "Alexander, when will the SeeDs arrive?"

Vaugham looked at the estharian leader, whose normally cheerful expression was painfully missing, "Half an hour, more or less, sir."

"As soon as they get inside the city, close the borders," ordered the President turning to look at the Minister, "We'll contain the damage inside the city first."

"We'll need to cut the whole city's electricity to refocus it on our defense barriers," said Seagul folding his arms as he understood his friend's plan, "Otherwise the flow of monsters will break in with ease."

"Then do it," said the estharian leader nodding, "Send the word to the citizens first, though. I don't want to spread more panic than there surely is."

Vaugham nodded and bowed. He was about to dismiss himself when a soldier entered the room hastily, almost knocking the Minister down. The trooper apologized and saluted the men, "Mr. President, sir, here is the preliminary report on the Lunar Base's incident," said the man extending his superior a large, flat screen.

After a silent minute in which the estharian leader examined the document, his eyes narrowed, "A Sorceress inside the Base?" turning to look at his Advisor, the President growled, "Why didn't you tell me? I should have stayed to protect Elle!"

Seagul shook his head, "I know how you feel and I'm really sorry, but you know that as the President your first responsibility is with Esthar's people," placing a hand on the other man's shoulder, his voice acquired a lower tone, "You would do no good to anyone dead and you know it."

The President's grumbled response was lost as another trooper entered the room. Quickly saluting the assembled men, he said, "Mr. President, sir, I'm afraid we are still missing some of the Lunar Gate's crew. Some of the rescue missions have returned empty handed…" at the estharian leader's frown, the soldier shook his head, "General Mitchell's reports state that the quantity of monsters surrounding the city has made most of the rescues impossible, sir."

"What about Ellone and Squall?" asked the President trying to hide his anxiety as best as he could, "Where are they? Are they safe?"

"A rescue party has been deployed already to retrieve your daughter, sir. We received a radio transmission from her pod and fortunately they landed in the outskirts of Esthar, far away from the Lunar Cry's epicenter," the soldier lowered his head, "However, we have still no news on the Commander's location. We believe he is in the same capsule as your daughter, but in the S.O.S. Miss Ellone sent, she didn't mention his name."

His friend and Advisor's grip on his shoulder tightened and the President had a hard time keeping his composure. He couldn't believe Hyne could be as cruel as to deny him a second chance! Just when he thought he could start a new life, his newfound family was cruelly snatched from him again.

Dark green eyes narrowed.

_Not this time._

"Find them," ordered the President in the sternest tone he could muster, "Find them at whatever cost and bring them here."

ooo ooo

Stunned at the cool and smooth contact, Squall's first instinct had been to pull away, but as she softly kneaded the sensitive flesh together, the Commander's eyes fluttered close before his hold on Rosie tightened and he started to reciprocate the overly gentle and slightly hesitant kiss, quite a contrast to the one he'd started.

Squall couldn't help the almost smile that formed on his busy lips at the thought that it was the way they worked: by opposing each other. While he was rational and practical to a fault, Rosie's life was ruled by her feelings. She acted and he reacted... thus they complemented each other perfectly.

Rosie's tears rolled down her cheeks as she felt Squall's response to her touch, the stoic man's usual rudeness replaced by a gentle caress that a couple of months ago she wouldn't have believed possible. The brunet's feel was both intoxicating and purifying as it washed away her fears and doubts, replacing them with the sense of security she always felt whenever he was close and the overwhelming love she held for him.

The intense feeling burning in her chest spread through her entire being as though hot embers had been ignited inside of her in a marvelous and somewhat painful sensation and Rosie wished for a second Squall could grasp the intensity of her love through their union, even if it was the slightest, so he could finally know just how much he meant to her.

As the kiss deepened, a chilled shock ran up her spine before the brunet jerked back sharply, covering his lower lip with his right hand.

"W-What?" asked Rosie half-confused, half-sad at the abrupt interruption. Did she do something wrong? Was she really _that_ bad at kissing?

Squall's narrowed eyes inspected his hand. He'd expected to see blood, given the sudden, sharp pain, but incredibly enough, his flesh was clean. Confused, he turned his attention to the raven-haired in front of him, "I felt a shock."

Her eyes widened in surprise before a deep blush covered her cheeks and she hid her face in her hands.

Why did Hyne enjoy making her life a continuous embarrassment?

Didn't the almighty God have something more to entertain himself with than her numerous stupidity moments?

"I'm so sorry!" her voice was partially muffled by her hands, "It was my fault..."

A copper eyebrow rose at the statement, "How–?"

"Sorceress's power," interrupted Rosie as her face reddened further.

"Are –?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," she sighed in frustration. She'd felt the electrical pulse running up her spine as her pleasure within the kiss increased and she was absolutely positive the overwhelming feeling of content had been the one to provoke the sharp pain in Squall's lip.

Why me?!

_Now I can't even kiss him without practically transforming him into a thunder rod!!_

Her inner whining was abruptly cut off when a very unusual sound reached her ears. A very low, breathy noise that made the stunned raven-haired lift her face to confirm what otherwise she wouldn't have believed at this point.

Squall Leonhart was actually _laughing._

It didn't last long and wasn't incredibly loud as most laughter is, but for Rosie, the low, heartfelt sound was a complete miracle.

Shaking his head, the brunet explained "Matron told us how Sorceress magic works... your emotions being the ones controlling the spell's intensity and in some cases, its type." a very small smirk formed on his lips as he left his statement open and was rewarded with a deep blush on the raven-haired's face as realization of his understanding suddenly hit her. Immediately, Rosie buried her face in her hands again, gaining a small chuckle from the brunet.

The peaceful atmosphere was suddenly interrupted as the radio clicked back to life again and the same male voice they'd heard a seemingly eternity ago, spoke once more.

"This is Airstation. Ragnarok, respond."

Squall reached out and pressed one of the buttons he'd seen in the touch panel earlier, "This is the Ragnarok."

"_We've been collecting escape pods to get an account on the survivors of the Lunar Base incident and we need to know how many are inside the ship."_

"Just two."

"_Your names?"_

"Squall Leonhart and Rossane Bennett."

The voice on the radio seemed to choke before quickly asking, _"B-Bennett? Rossane Bennett?"_

Stormy eyes narrowed, "Yes. What–?"

"_Sorceress Rossane is on the ship?"_ the background sounds coming from those working on Ground Control died down, leaving Squall and Rosie in complete silence after the man's question.

Detecting movement out the corner of his eyes, the Commander turned to look at the raven-haired who was now tightly hugging her knees, while resting her head on them. Dark eyes were settled on the ground at her left, purposely avoiding contact with Squall's.

"_Is she listening?"_

Of course she was.

Rosie's mind was fixed only on the frightened tone the man's voice held. Now she completely understood Rinoa's distress at knowing she was a Sorceress. The world would hate her, holding her responsible for crimes committed by others in the span of centuries. No one will ever see her as a normal teenager again. No, all they would see was the boundless power inside her and the potential danger she represented.

"_Respond, Ragnarok!"_

She'd no longer be a human being in their eyes, just another Sorceress who would undoubtedly become corrupted by her power and bring destruction to the world.

"_The Sorceress will be seized__ upon arrival. Be sure to follow–" _the transmission was cut off as Squall angrily slapped the radio control, switching it off. The Commander returned his attention to Rosie, his eyes narrowed in concern as she returned his stare with a neutral expression instead of the teary face he was expecting.

"You okay?"

She sighed and closed her eyes briefly, "I don't know."

While she couldn't care about what the world would think of her, there were the people she'd to live with day after day. And even if her friends welcomed her with open arms, there was still the issue of the other students and SeeDs in Garden...

Would they see her with good eyes too?

Or would they consider her nothing more than another blood-thirsty Sorceress, they'd eventually slaughter?

ooo ooo

"General, we've arrived to pod 0786's location, over."

"_Roger that, Hawk team. Remember the mission directives. Over and out."_

The soldier huffed as the voice died down. No wonder that freaking General didn't voice the so-called mission directives over the radio… they were talking about the President's daughter here!

"Man, I can't believe we are seeking those poor bastards just to kill them!" muttered the corporal seated at his side, making the first trooper to nod, "If you ask me, this whole Sorceress's allies is crap. Who in their right mind would support a Sorceress?"

The soldier smiled, "Yeah, you're ri–" the rest of his reply was lost as a sudden blast made the vehicle spin around and roll out of control between a dense smoke and sand curtain.

"Freddy, you ok?!" asked the corporal between coughs as he shook his friend's unconscious frame. The smoke receded slowly and the man was able to see the blue, armored vehicle that had attacked them.

His eyes narrowed as he detected the emblem displayed proudly on its side, "Galbadia…" hissed the estharian venomously, "… guess that answers everything."

Quickly pressing the com's button, the soldier's hoarse voice was heard again, "Central, this is Hawk. We are under galbadian attack, I repeat, we are under galbadian attack."

"_What about the objective?"_

The soldier growled, "Intact. The galbadians arrived first. We need back-up, I repeat, we need–"

ooo ooo

The booming sound of the explosion made the pod's walls shake violently. Ellone covered her ears, cringing at the deafening noise and pressed herself closer to the unconscious Irvine's frame.

_Hyne, please let it finish soon!_

Her eyes closed tightly, the pray leaving her lips in a desperate mantra as she rocked back and forth slightly in a nervous habit she'd developed during her early years. Several blasts and heavy gunfire later, a deadly silence enveloped the small capsule, making Ellone crack open an eye to gaze around her.

The cowboy was still out cold, much as Piet, though the latter's slumber was due to the numerous injuries he'd sustained. Ellone looked concerned at the blond doctor. If he didn't get help in the next few hours, he would surely die…

Her brief reverie was cut short when the heavy, metallic door opened. A relieved smile lightened her face as the first, warm rays of midday's sun filtered through the half-opened threshold.

However, her smile vanished and her heart froze as a tall figure entered the pod, sporting a blue and silver uniform instead of Esthar's flashy ones.

"We found her," said the galbadian reaching over to grab Ellone's arm. She squirmed against the hold, calling desperately for Irvine but, unfortunately, the cowboy was still unconscious.

The soldier slapped her, growling her to be quiet before dragging her outside the capsule. The sudden brightness hurt her eyes and Ellone couldn't help the whimper leaving her lips as she was harshly pulled forwards, falling to her knees on the hot, desert's sand.

A shadow loomed over her and she was stunned by the small hand extended before her face.

"Commander, what shall we do with the other two?"

Ellone's eyes rose and widened as she glanced at the ranking officer. Fujin's crimson gaze settled on the pod's interior, narrowing as she detected Irvine's slouched frame along with an older blond man's.

Seifer had told her there should be no prisoners aside from Ellone, the implied murdering order crystal clear. However, the albino seriously questioned the blond's judgment as of lately. Her friend's behavior was entirely alien from the Seifer she knew… the one she respected and loved.

How many of Seifer's decisions were his own?

And how many were the product of Ultimecia's control over the Knight?

"Commander?" a soldier's voice broke her brief reverie, making Fujin finally reach a decision.

"LEAVE," ordered the albino, grabbing Ellone's hand and gently pulling the other girl to her feet, "DIE ANYWAY."

She only hoped they stopped Seifer first.

ooo ooo

"Well, what do we have here?" asked Rosie aloud as she opened the huge, white fridge's door.

Deciding to break the tense mood the estharian's intentions had left, Squall had suggested exploring the Ragnarok's interior, thinking they might find something useful. Rosie had accepted, wondering if the draconian ship would hold any differences to what she'd seen during the game.

She wasn't disappointed. In fact, most of the Ragnarok's commodities were excluded from its pixel version: the ship was wide enough to shelter two small warehouses, a huge kitchen, a briefing room, the cockpit and enough dorms to house a dozen-people crew with all the accommodations necessary.

The two teens were now in the ship's kitchen on a quest for food. The raven-haired's stomach complained again as she examined the fridge's contents with a frown. After being in that suspended animation or whatever kind of half-existence Ultimecía had forced upon her, it was no wonder Rosie was hungry enough to eat a whole chocobo…

… well, she would if they were actually edible. Fact Squall had clarified after she'd made her statement.

Rosie smiled. He always took everything so seriously and literal, it was a real miracle he knew what sarcasm was.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Squall's deep voice, "Sugar."

Wide-eyed and with a pink hue coloring her cheeks, Rosie turned around, "Yeah?"

Her blush intensified when the brunet's right hand emerged from the cabinet he'd been searching through, holding a small box, "I said I found some sugar," Squall turned around and his eyes settled on the still flushed girl. Copper eyebrows knitted in confusion at her sudden demeanor, "What's wrong?"

The raven-haired felt like banging her head against the fridge's door, "N-Nothing!" she blurted before turning her attention once more to the frozen goods, hoping the cool air would help lessen the heat assaulting her face.

How could she be so dumb?

Of course Squall wouldn't call her 'sugar', for Hyne's sake! The Commander was barely getting used to the idea of opening up to her and she knew he wasn't very fond of nick or pet-names.

_But I can dream, right?_ – she though with a small smile.

The brunet's presence getting closer forced Rosie to return her attention to the issue at hand, otherwise she'd keep blushing the whole trip back to Earth.

"What did you find?" asked Squall placing the small sugar package on the large table a few feet behind the raven-haired's position.

"Uhmm… well, the only thing that doesn't have strange green things growing on them are these," said Rosie producing a couple of bottles from the fridge. A disgusted frown formed on her face as she read the label, "Beer… great."

Squall folded his arms and scanned the room once more. All the numerous cabinets were open, revealing a good quantity of canned goods, all of which were currently rotten.

_The ship's been in space for seventeen years. What did you expect?_

"You want one?" asked Rosie, making the Commander's eyes return to her. She was holding a beer in his direction.

Squall shook his head and she shrugged, returning both bottles to their original position before closing the fridge's door. Sighing a little, Rosie floated towards the brunet, leaning on the table before pulling herself on it and sitting next to the small package.

"So all we have is sugar, uh?" asked the raven-haired taking the box to examine it. The Commander nodded in reply, watching her scan the package thoroughly before setting it back on the table, "Well, I pass. I don't want to get all sugar high. Hyne knows I'm impossible to deal with as it is," she finished with a smirk in Squall's direction.

A very small, similar gesture was mirrored on his face, "True."

Rosie chuckled, amused by the stoic brunet's dry sense of humor. She was so glad to hear one of Squall's jokes – or as close as he came to joking – again. Last time she'd the chance to hear one of those commentaries was back at the concert when she asked if he'd mind going skinny dipping.

The smooth sound of her laughter transformed into a whimper as her stomach complained loudly again, "I'm starving!" she exclaimed, clutching her midsection and lowering her head.

Squall frowned. Aside from the sugar box, there was nothing left on the ship to ease her hunger. The brunet unfolded his arms and placed himself in front of the seated girl. When Rosie's curious gaze met his, he offered, "Just hang on a little more. Once we arrive, I promise to treat you dinner."

She beamed, "Really?"

He nodded, "Promise. Anything you want."

"Is there any possibility of pizza existing in your world?" asked Rosie hopefully. God! What she wouldn't give just for a slice of–

"Round bread with sauce, lots of ingredients and cheese?" asked Squall curiously, barely resisting a smile as her eyes brightened at the description before she nodded repeatedly. He motioned vaguely behind him and nodded, "Sure. Dollet-style is the best."

"It doesn't include black olives, right?" asked Rosie with a disgusted frown, "'Cause I hate them."

This time, the brunet couldn't help the way his lips curled slightly upwards, lightening his normally sober features and making Rosie's heart take flight, "No. Don't worry."

"Okay. Sounds like a deal, then," replied the raven-haired smiling wider, still entranced by the way Squall's face seemed younger when his usual frown relaxed. She'd never seen him smile this much in the previous months and was proud of being the only witness of the beautiful miracle.

_It's so odd,_ – she mused, – _to think I wouldn't have spared a second glance at a smile before. It is something so common… something given for granted on most people, but every one of Squall's is a treasure._

A long silence enveloped them and the raven-haired found herself content only with watching him watch her back. Although there were still lots of things to say, Rosie couldn't describe the current moment as nothing else but one of those comfortable silences she'd only heard of.

In her previous relationships, there was always the urge of filling the silence with meaningless words: comments about the movie they'd just seen, school subjects or any other mundane topic that could replace the heavy, silent atmosphere. With Squall, however, the minutes passed like the calm flow of water: smooth and entirely unnoticed.

She could have remained like that for eternity, but the moment was broken when the brunet's hand moved to stifle a yawn.

Rosie giggled, "Seems someone's bedtime has passed," her laughter increased at Squall's subsequent glare.

"Whatever," replied the Commander predictably, folding his arms and taking a step backwards to give her enough room so she could get down from her position on the table.

ooo ooo

Selphie's anxious expression relaxed as she finally detected the already familiar face among the Presidential Palace's personal. Calling out the man's name, the brunette ran to meet him in the middle of the large corridor.

"Do you have any news on Irvy, Squall and Rosie's position?" asked the tiny SeeD hopefully.

The Minister shook his head, "I'm sorry, my dear. We are having trouble recovering the escape pods… with the monsters out there…"

Selphie lowered her head. The news had stung her deeply. She couldn't believe her friends would be lost in the midst of the Lunar Cry!

"But we are doing everything we can, that much I can assure you," said Vaugham, placing a warm, comforting hand on the brunette's shoulder, "As soon as we have news on your friends I'll get an airship myself to get you there."

"Promise?" asked Selphie, barely containing the tears threatening to fall.

The Minister nodded, "I give you my word, my lady," the older man smiled slightly and motioned the brunette to follow him, "Right now, let me escort you and your friends to the city's entrance," his smile widened, "I've been told our guests have finally arrived."

ooo ooo

The sounds of the battlefield were muffled by the increasing, loud humming that seemed to echo through the entire city. Time seemed to freeze as the deafening noise rose above the city like a hymn leaving an angel's trumpet.

The estharian forces turned their gazes skywards and were absolutely stunned at the incredible sight before them. A huge, shinning, azure structure rose above Esthar's buildings, the twin golden rings that propelled it barely avoiding a collision.

A heartbeat later, the most stunning construction ever made by human hands floated graciously over their heads. The crystalline, swan-like base seemed to glide above the city's skyline thanks to the rings that kept it afloat.

Stunned at the immense beauty and size of the SeeD bases, the estharians could only stare as their back-up slowly settled in a wide plaza far north of the Presidential Palace.

ooo ooo

The door to 'his' room on the Ragnarok opened, making the Commander instinctively stiffen and open his eyes to thin slits.

He'd been in peaceful slumber for a couple of hours now, his body demanding him the rest after all the tension of the previous weeks. As Rosie's smiling face disappeared behind the door of her dorm, the brunet realized just how _tired_ he was and now that he was completely relaxed, the sleepless nights took their toll.

However, having trained himself throughout his life to be a light sleeper, Squall was able to come to his senses quickly despite his tiredness. The Commander's confusion turned into mild amusement when a head with dark hair popped from the half-opened entrance and scanned the room before settling on the bed. Surely Rosie had thought she could slip unnoticed by the brunet.

The issue on what could the girl be doing there, along with Squall's amusement died down when stormy eyes detected a faint glow coming from Rosie's hand. Feigning to sleep, the Commander's whole attention focused on her moves as she cautiously covered the distance between the door and his bed. The golden glow intensified when she settled beside his seemingly slumbering form and raised her hand. The light immediately shifted, forming a bright, dagger-like, golden lance that the raven-haired grasped tightly.

Squall was stunned.

It had to be a nightmare!

_What the hell is going on here?!_

His bewildered state vanished as soon as he detected the cold, golden gaze replacing Rosie's brown eyes and the trail of dried tears on the girl's cheeks. Mercenary instincts kicked in and the brunet barely avoided being stabbed by rolling onto the bed.

"Ultimecia!" growled Squall facing the raven-haired from his new position near the door.

Rosie smirked, the gesture completely different from the playful one she'd gave him in the kitchen. Instead, her entire face darkened with an evil aura that definitely didn't belong to the cheerful girl, "So, you know my name," she said, cocking her head to the side as her golden eyes scanned the SeeD's tense stance.

The Commander didn't reply and only narrowed his cold, unforgiving gaze at the woman before him, his eyes reflecting a mix of hate and barely contained fury. How dare the witch attack him in Rosie's form? He couldn't fight her back in this condition!

The raven-haired laughed, "Oh, this is indeed such a predicament for you, my child!" she smiled widely at Squall's subsecuent growl, "So touching your concern for this girl's safety!"

Squall's venomous scowl deepened, "Release her."

"Or what?" purred the Sorceress with a smile, "You will hurt me?" asked the raven-haired taking a step closer to the tensed brunet, "Go ahead." She challenged, opening her arms and halting just in front of Squall, before lifting on her tiptoes and whispering, "Pierce my heart with your sword, SeeD. End my life as you're destined to do."

Hot anger flowed through his veins and his already cold gaze froze further as Squall set his jaw tightly. His mind raced for possible escape routes that didn't involve harming Rosie.

The raven-haired smiled gleefully, muttering a low 'pathetic' before the magical dagger reformed and shoot forwards. A scream echoed through the room and both figures were immediately enveloped in a bright light.

Time stopped in the next heartbeat.

ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo

_Author's note:_

_Hiya! I'm back!_

_Hope you liked this chapter :D Well, I promised some surprises and here they are! From here on, this story leaves FF8's plot for a while to do an entirely different thing. I hope the result will be enjoyable for all of you :D_

_I wanted to give the whole Esthar's conflict a new political twist, via Hardin and the Council. I always thought Laguna had to have some kind of counterpart inside the country, I mean, it's never that easy, right? _

_As always, thanks to all the Reviewers, especially Dagger (thanks for everything, darling) and Nails08, because this is the only means I have to express my eternal gratitude for their comments. _

_I want to dedicate this chapter to Kiki (she knows who she is :D), for her birthday... okay, I know it's on October the 15th, but still XD_

_Uhm.. what else? Oh, yeah, someone once asked me how I decided on the chapter's titles, well, I gotta say most of them are from songs that have helped me write this fic. In this chap's case, "For you I will" is nothing else but the core of this story. It's a wonderful song by Monica, that my dear Beta told me about (thanks again, btw, dear :D) And from the first moment I heard it, I was like "OMG, this just describes the way Rosie feels about Squall perfectly". _

_So this song has kind of become the hymn for this story :D_

_Well, gotta go, I need to update this fast or someone is definitely going to kill me. XD_

_Love ya all,_

_Celestial Rage_


	68. Chapter 68 The stage is set

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII..._ … … _Damn, I really need to come up with something else. This is getting old._

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 68: The stage is set**

By CelestialRage

"Sir!" the estharian soldier came to a halt as he saluted the older man, "We have found _Calipso_."

The General's gray eyes tore from the huge plasma screen in front of him to the trooper's face, "Are you sure, corporal?"

"Yes, sir. Our people at the Airstation have given confirmation," the soldier extended a report to his superior before adding, "And we have also been informed she's with Commander Leonhart."

Mitchell's eyes narrowed, "I see..." A silent minute passed in which the General examined the report, "So they're inside the Ragnarok? I thought we'd lost that airship 17 years ago."

"Apparently they were able to find it, sir."

"Well, we need to retrieve that ship from _Calipso_ and that SeeD's clutches," grey eyes left the report to glance at his surroundings. Once he was certain no one was hearing into their conversation, the General added, "Estimate the Ragnarok's landing position and inform me as soon as you have it."

"Yes, sir!" the soldier saluted him again and left hurriedly.

Mitchell picked up the phone and dialed the top Counselor's number.

ooo ooo

"What do you mean you lost contact with the rescue party?" growled the President, leaving the report he'd been reading and making the soldier flinch. Immediately regretting his outburst, the normally collected man took a breath to steady his racing heart.

"I'm sorry, sir, but _Hawk_'s com is out…" said the trooper in the calmest voice he could muster, "… we've been trying to establish contact with them for over 30 minutes and it's been impossible."

The President's Advisor folded his arms, dark eyebrows knitting in suspicion, "Why hasn't Mitchell informed us of this?"

The soldier shook his head, "I don't know, sir. We have been issued orders not to bother the General."

Seagul's frown deepened, "Not to bother him?" he turned to look at the other two men in the room. Zabac shared his confused gaze, while the President seemed as oblivious as ever.

The Advisor sighed inaudibly.

Though he knew his friend's mind was settled on Ellone and the SeeD Commander's well-being, the President's lack of attention was tiresome and, given the current situation, could lead them into more trouble than Seagul cared to deal with.

"Maybe we should have a word with the General…" suggested the Advisor looking at the blond and bulky Minister of Defense.

Zabac nodded, his electronic voice reverberating through the room, "I'll take care of that."

"Wait!" the President's voice made the taller man halt his advance and turn to look at him over his shoulder, "Could you please arrange another party to search for Elle and Squall first?"

Zabac's eyes softened at his friend's tone, "Sure."

"Don't worry about it," added the Advisor patting the President's shoulder, "I'll issue the order right now."

ooo ooo

Squall's eyes widened as searing pain registered.

A whimper reached his ears and the Commander's heart skipped a beat when his gaze locked with a frightened, brown one.

"Squall… oh, God!" exclaimed Rosie in anguish as her eyes scanned the SeeD's bleeding shoulder, the same one Edea's ice spear had pierced all those months ago. The golden dagger she'd been holding quickly vanished in a bright mist when the raven-haired called forth a powerful healing spell.

Tears ran down her face as the magic worked on mending the brunet's split skin, "I'm sorry, Squall! I'm so sorry!"

The Commander hissed as the young Sorceress' power filled his entire being before focusing on the injury. Rosie definitely needed practice with her new skills as the intensity of her feelings made the spell painfully strong and rather uncomfortable.

"It's ok," muttered the brunet, watching the bright, azure hue stop the flow of blood. His eyes shifted from his newest scar to the girl's face and narrowed when he noticed her slight trembling, "You alright?"

Rosie clenched her teeth, trying her best to fight the heavy urge to scream in pain. She could feel her soul burning with Ultimecia's dark presence, the older witch demanding her surrender.

"You have… to get away from me," the pain in her chest increased with every word, making Rosie hold herself tightly as if cold, "Squall… I…"

His frown deepened as she took a step backwards, whimpering in pain and clutching her arms tighter. Instinctively, the brunet reached out for her, "Rosie, what–?"

However, the rest of his query was lost as the raven-haired sharply slapped his hand away.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!!!" she roared hoarsely, startling Squall further as she lifted her head, allowing him to see her eyes shifting from brown to amber and back again. The raven-haired stepped back, her hands clutching dark hair tightly as her painful whimpers returned, "… please… I don't want to…"

"Then don't!" snapped Squall, grabbing her arms, "Fight her, Rosie."

His heart clenched in a tighter fist when the girl cried out with pained rage and shoved off from his hold, stumbling backwards until she was stopped by a nearby wall. A sudden brightness enveloped the raven-haired's frame and the Commander's eyes widened as the light shifted, forming long, pristine wings.

A rain of glinting, white feathers filled the room as Rosie slid down the wall and sat on the floor, hugging her knees closely. Snapped out of his reverie by her movement, Squall immediately took a step towards her, only to be forcefully hurled back against the wall as the wings folded in front of her, forming a bright, tough barrier.

ooo ooo

"What the hell happened here?" muttered the estharian soldier in shock as the small aircraft approached the place where supposedly the President's daughter's pod had landed.

A thick column of smoke rose from the blackened remnants of a vehicle the trooper had no problem identifying as one of their own. Most likely the one belonging to the missing _Hawk_ team...

His eyes immediately left the burnt metal scraps to settle on their objective. The escape pod's surface exhibited some burns and dents on it, but the damage was nothing compared to what the other vehicle had sustained.

Seemed whoever had destroyed _Hawk_'s transport had something else planned for the pod… or worse yet, its occupants.

ooo ooo

"Welcome to Esthar," said the Minister bowing slightly, "I'm Alexander Vaugham, Minister of Foreign Affairs."

The SeeD ranking officers returned the gesture, before the oldest one offered the estharian a smile, "I'm Cid Kramer, Headmaster of Balamb Garden, and these…" said the man gesturing at his right, "… are Ana Tilmitt, Headmistress of Trabia Garden and Noah Jones, Captain of the White SeeDs."

Vaugham nodded politely at the tall, dark haired man before sending the beautiful brunette a smile, "Pleasure to meet you, my lady."

The Headmistress' reply was lost as a high-pitched voice interrupted the formal introductions, "Annie!!!" Shamelessly, Selphie ran towards her sister, enveloping the taller woman in a hug so tight, it could easily be classified as a judo key, "I'm SO glad you're finally here!"

Cid and the Minister chuckled lightly while Noah watched the yellow-clad girl's exuberance with widened eyes and Ana tried to pry open the other brunette's arms, "Selph, I need… to breathe…"

Selphie blushed slightly, letting go of her sister, "Oops! Sorry, bad habit…" she finished with a smile.

Ana sighed and straightened her outfit while shaking her head a little in the tiny SeeD's direction, "You have lots of those, you know?" said the Headmistress coolly, eliciting more laughter from the presents.

Smiling, Edea walked over to her husband, who immediately reached out and wrapped an arm around the woman's slender waist. Cid's gaze left his wife's face to wander through the small group.

Zell stood close to Selphie, sporting an amused grin at the exchange between the Tilmitt girls, while Quistis shook her head in a scolding way.

"Where are Squall and Irvine?" asked Cid frowning.

Vaugham shook his head, "I'm afraid we haven't had any news on either Mr. Kinneas or Commander Leonhart's whereabouts. With the monsters the Lunar Cry has carried, our rescue missions have been nearly impossible."

"Rescue missions?" asked the Headmaster, scowling deeper before a cold hand settled on his cheek, making his attention shift from the estharian diplomat to Edea's lovely face.

"I'll explain everything to you later. Right now, the people of Esthar need SeeD's help," said the former Sorceress before a very small smile lightened her features, "Besides, I have a feeling our children are fine."

Cid nodded slightly. Both young men had been trained as SeeDs and, as the Headmaster had once told Rinoa, that meant they would find a way to succeed in the end.

"I guess you're right," he replied, directing a warm smile at his wife before his gaze settled on the Minister, "Please, tell us how we might be of assistance."

ooo ooo

Rosie's eyes shot open as the pain subsided as suddenly as it had begun. Her heart clenched in fear as she was, once again, surrounded by pitch darkness.

Had Ultimecia took control of her body again?

"Welkome, child," the Sorceress' raucous voice reverberated, making the raven-haired whirl around. Her eyes narrowed as she was confronted with the crimson-clad witch, whose regal and taller frame stood barely a couple of feet from the stunned girl.

"Leave me alone!" demanded Rosie fisting her hands and steeling herself for whatever the other Sorceress could do next.

To her complete astonishment, Ultimecia smiled, "Oh! Do not worry, child. I will…" golden eyes became colder as the older woman closed the distance between them and placed a claw-like finger on the girl's chin, "Alas, I have one more task for you."

Rosie huffed and knocked her touch aside, "What makes you think I'll do anything you ask of me?"

The elder Sorceress smirked dangerously, eliciting a chill down the raven-haired's spine. Her right arm motioned gracefully to the side and the shadows shifted, forming a large, gold-lined mirror. Rosie frowned as, instead of hers and Ultimecia's forms, the shiny surface reflected a small chamber she'd seen just moments ago.

Squall's room.

Her heart skipped a beat when her eyes detected the brunet's unconscious frame slouched across hers in the otherwise empty room.

"I know you would do anything to keep this man safe," the Sorceress' amused tone gained the raven-haired's widened gaze and Ultimecia chuckled, a hoarse, malicious sound that echoed through the darkened place. Her laughter subsided, but the crimson-clad witch kept a lopsided smile, "That is why you _will_ help me, child."

Rosie shook her head and stepped back, "No…"

A silver eyebrow rose in interest, "So you will let him die?"

The raven-haired froze at the question, her eyes immediately leaving Ultimecia's face and settling on Squall's frame. A silent minute passed and finally Rosie's voice was heard, her answer vanishing the witch's smile, "He can take care of himself…" dark brown eyes shifted to the older Sorceress' face, "Besides, he'd be in a lot more danger if I let you anywhere near him."

Ultimecia's smile returned, "Very thoughtful of you, my child…" her graceful body glided towards the mirror, "However, I am only offering you a choice."

Rosie frowned, "A choice?"

"You are of kin now," said the Sorceress bowing her head slightly, "Thus, my offer. In any other cirkumstance I would have just taken what I desire," her cruel smile widened, "You should know that by now, child."

The raven-haired's frown deepened. Yeah, she knew the witch was a master at manipulating everyone and everything to get whatever she wanted.

That was why she found so odd that the elder Sorceress was actually having this conversation with her in the first place.

Rosie folded her arms, her eyes narrowing in suspicion as she glanced at Ultimecia's tall frame, "What's this choice of yours?"

A claw-like hand caressed the mirror's surface, making the image zoom in on Squall's unconscious face, "The choice is simple," said the Sorceress locking her golden gaze with Rosie's, "Bekome my vessel as long as it takes for me to get to Adel…"

The girl immediately shook her head, "No w–"

"I am not finished yet," interrupted Ultimecia sharply, silencing the raven-haired in the act. A heartbeat later, the Sorceress continued her case in a calmer tone, "If you akcept, I promise I will not harm you or the man you kare so deeply for."

Amber eyes gleamed dangerously as a tiny bit of the witch's power was displayed, "Deny me and there will be no guaranties."

Rosie's heart skipped a beat at the warning, especially when the magical aura around Ultimecia's slender frame increased. Her mind reeled with possible outcomes to this deal, each one darker than the last, making the raven-haired fall more and more into despair.

Rosie frowned. If she denied the request, she had no doubt Ultimecia would simply take over her body by force. After all, she had already done so before.

What would she do if that were to happen?

How could she protect her loved ones from herself?

She didn't want to submit her soul to the witch again… but what could she do?

Face her in battle?

Rosie highly doubted she could face – let alone, win – a fight against the older and more experienced Sorceress, especially not with her new abilities out of control.

Maybe she was faster at casting magic and her spells were more effective, but what good could that do when Ultimecia's powers went as far as to make 'Time Compression' a reality?

Her gaze left the older woman's face to settle on Squall's. His longish bangs fell annoyingly over his closed eyes and at that moment, Rosie would have given anything to have them open and look at her one more time.

But they didn't… and she knew she was alone in this.

Rosie's head lowered, her hands closing in tight fists as she finally reached a decision. As much as it pained her, she had to admit she was powerless against the other Sorceress. Who knew how worse the outcome could be if she decided to face Ultimecia and lost?

_His_ life would be at stake… and that was definitely not an option.

It was her turn to fight for Squall, to do anything she could in order to keep him safe. And at least, this way Rosie could ensure it.

Long, dark bangs concealed her eyes from the witch's view as she lowly asked, "How can I trust you?"

Ultimecia's smile returned, this time – however – the gesture held no malice intent in it, "You have my word."

The raven-haired shook her head and lifted her gaze to meet the other woman's, "That is not enough. Forgive me for doubting you, but we both know you'd use whatever means necessary to achieve your goals."

The older Sorceress shrugged, her smile widening at the girl's annoyed state, "I will not deny it." A silent minute passed and Rosie's stance didn't change. Ultimecia frowned, irritated at the girl's stubbornness. Finally the platinum-haired woman sighed in defeat and offered, "Very well, then. We kan seal our deal with a magik pakt."

A dark eyebrow rose in curiosity, "Magic pact?"

"A Sorceress' promise to one of kin is an eternal kompromise," said the crimson-clad witch extending a hand at the raven-haired, "And to bind ourselves to that kompromise we must seal it with our magik."

Rosie frowned, glancing at the extended hand. Though she didn't trust Ultimecia in the least, something inside her told her the older Sorceress was saying the truth about this 'magic pact'.

"So, if I do it… you won't hurt Squall?"

The other woman smiled, "Seal the pakt and he will be safe."

The raven-haired bit her lip and after a brief hesitation, finally took Ultimecia's claw-like hand. Immediately after, Rosie's whole body tingled as the other Sorceress' powerful magic was released.

Both women's hair was caught in the slight breeze that accompanied the elder witch's magical display, the calm whisper of the air current mixing with a more entrancing humming. Rosie's eyes widened when she detected the sound's source.

Lush, crimson lips moved as the older woman summoned ancient sorcery.

Rosie didn't know how, but the foreign words Ultimecia intoned in a low voice were not alien to her. Just as the first time she'd junctioned a Guardian Force, the raven-haired found herself able to fully understand their meaning although she didn't know the language. To further her surprise, her own voice soon joined the older Sorceress' raucous one in order to complete the whispered incantation.

The dark vacuum at their feet started glowing before gold and silver lines appeared, slowly tracing a circle around both women. Odd, but at the same time strangely familiar, symbols appeared all along the outer circle before several lines joined them in the center of the magical ring, forming a second, smaller circle.

Ultimecia's amber eyes gleamed with power, making Rosie briefly wonder if hers did too. However her query was completely forgotten a second later as a sharp pull on her chest made her gasp. Looking down, the raven-haired was amazed – and scared – at the sight of the white beam of light leaving her frame to join Ultimecia's own crimson glow.

A heartbeat later, both women were enveloped in a bright flash and Rosie's teeth clenched at the sharp pain that attacked her right wrist. Ultimecia's glowing eyes returned back to normal and the shadows engulfed the magical circle at their feet, leaving the extradimensional vacuum as though nothing had ever happened.

The raven-haired glanced down at her wrist, frowning at the thin, dark band that had formed on her skin. Rubbing a thumb along the band, her eyes narrowed further as she detected the small, rune-like symbols that had been burned all along the once clear flesh.

"We are now bonded by a promise," the other Sorceress' voice made Rosie shift her gaze from her wrist to the pale face. Ultimecia lifted her left hand, displaying a band of burnt flesh that mirrored Rosie's, making the girl remember briefly Squall and Seifer's scars.

The raucous tone was heard again, "Kome, my child. Let us not waste any more time," finished the witch extending the hand exhibiting the mark of their bonding towards the raven-haired.

Rosie looked down at the offering and nodded slightly. Her eyes settled one last time on the mirror and Squall's displayed image before her right, marked hand took Ultimecia's left one.

ooo ooo

The Advisor read the report again, his mouth twitching in a frown as he went over the dreadful information.

Neither Ellone nor the SeeD Commander had been inside the escape pod when the rescue party arrived. And to make things worse, all evidence pointed to Galbadia's hand behind their disappearance and the extermination of _Hawk_ team.

Seagul sighed.

How was he supposed to tell his friend this?

ooo ooo

Selphie ran down the large corridor, heedless of her friends' calls of her name.

The happy reunion with Nida, Xu, Thelma (who had practically tackled Zell once the blond came into view) and Rinoa, plus her two friends, Zone and Watts, had ended abruptly as Vaugham had received news on their missing comrades.

Truth to his word, the Minister had gotten the SeeDs back to the Presidential Palace where the pod's occupants were currently under the supervision of the best doctors available in Esthar.

And despite the others' attempts at lightening the mood, Selphie had only one thing in mind.

The brunette practically slammed open the Medical Wing's door, gaining the annoyed stares of the doctors and nurses gathered in the large waiting room. Ignoring them, the tiny SeeD approached the administration desk.

"Irvine Kinneas," said Selphie between ragged breaths, "Where is he?"

The nurse huffed, setting her glasses over her nose, "I'm sorry, miss. But the visiting hours have ended."

The brunette scowled and raised her tone, trying to sound as authoritarian as possible, "Make an exception, then."

"I'm sorry, but unless you're a relative–"

"I'm his wife," blurted Selphie without even thinking, her blood freezing at the numerous gasps behind her.

The brunette turned and blushed as she found her friends staring at her. Rinoa and Quistis blinked in confusion; Thelma was wide-eyed, while Zell's mouth hung ajar; Zone, Watts and Noah smiled, the same as Edea and Cid. Ana was simply stunned and looked at her sister with incredulous eyes.

Selphie's blush increased, "What?" she asked before shrugging, "One day I'll be. Besides it was either that or using my rocket launcher to get me through."

ooo ooo

Hardin excused himself as his assistant handed him the phone. "Yes?"

"_We have traced the Ragnarok's landing spot. It will arrive to Kazabahald Desert in about 30 minutes."_

The Counselor smirked, "And _Calipso_?"

"_Don't worry about her. She'll be seized and transported to the Memorial as soon as they arrive. Our men at the facility have everything ready to receive her properly," _the General's voice grew distant as he seemed to issue some orders to his subordinates before returning his attention to the conversation, _"What shall we do with the SeeD?"_

"Dispose of him. We can't leave survivors of the Lunar Base's incident."

A silent minute passed, before Mitchell's voice was heard again, this time with a darker tone, _"His death would be troublesome, especially now that his troops have arrived to the city."_

Hardin's smirk widened as he switched his gaze from the interior of the luxurious chamber where the other Counselors were congregated to the wide windowpane that overlooked the estharian capitol. His eyes settled on the tops of both SeeD bases now stationed in the Presidential Palace's plaza, "Leave the diplomatic problems to me. Just make sure your soldiers handle this mission correctly."

"_Don't worry about that. I'll take care of the task personally. Don't want these idiots to miss _Calipso_ as they did _Princess_."_

"You know I count on you, my friend."

Mitchell's smirk was evident in his voice, "Yeah, I know."

The phone clicked and went mute.

ooo ooo

The pristine wings vanished in a bright light before the raven-haired's eyes opened. Golden orbs narrowed as she focused her attention on the unconscious SeeD.

The last thing she'd ever wanted to do was to bond herself in such a pathetic promise. However, the child Sorceress had been very resilient, even to the point of rejecting her presence for a short, if crucial, amount of time.

The Sorceress rose to her feet with her usual grace and stepped towards the other figure in the room. Folding her arms, Ultimecia glanced down at her vessel's right wrist where the evidence of their ritual stood. The charred flesh didn't ache anymore and the small symbols that spell the incantation were now clearer than mere minutes before.

Golden eyes narrowed in annoyance.

Stupid girl! What she'd forced the elder Sorceress to do just to keep her on a leash!

_And all because of this man, _– thought Ultimecia angrily. Her amber gaze left the dark band and settled on Squall's face. Were it not for him, the girl's determination and spirit would be far weaker and more malleable. Alas, the child Sorceress' love for the accursed SeeD made her unpredictable and potentially dangerous for her plans.

And that was something Ultimecia couldn't afford. Especially not now that her intended vessel laid just barely out of her grasp.

Her eyes narrowed further as she kept her gaze trained on the brunet. She had been so close to ridding herself of her bigger obstacle! Just another second and the fated SeeD would have perished by her hand, allowing the timeless woman the only chance she needed to defy Fate.

She'd been _so_ close!

And now, she couldn't lay a finger on the damn man.

However, the witch was not worried. With the knowledge she'd gained through the child Sorceress' spirit, Ultimecia knew facts that would definitely help her to achieve her goal one way or another.

The raven-haired smirked.

Let the SeeD keep his petty life for another day!

Once Adel's power was finally hers, the Sorceress would take care of the accursed SeeD personally.

And this time, it would be definitive.

ooo ooo

"Don't worry, sunshine," said Irvine smiling and squeezing Selphie's hand tighter, "I'll be fine."

"What happened?" asked Rinoa, glancing at the several bandages the cowboy's body exhibited.

The auburn-haired man frowned, fighting the headache that was coming, "We couldn't stop Rosie… Squall tried, but…" his hand tightened once more around his beloved brunette's, "Adel's tomb fell and the Lunar Cry destroyed the Base. We barely escaped on that damn pod."

"We?" asked Quistis folding her arms, "You mean the estharian scientist and yourself?"

Irvine shook his head, "Ellone was with us too."

Zell's expression darkened, "She wasn't in the pod when the rescue team found you and the other guy."

"What about Squall and Rosie?" asked Selphie, glancing at Irvine's face, "Weren't they with you too?"

The cowboy raised a hand to adjust his hat in a nervous habit he'd developed years ago, the limb returning to his lap once he realized the dark item was resting on a nearby chair. Irvine's head lowered and his voice acquired a lower tone as he retold the events after the Lunar Base's explosion.

Thelma's eyes widened, "He did _what_?!"

Zell whistled and scratched his neck nervously, "I never thought Squall would do something that reckless."

Quistis and Rinoa smiled, though the gesture was short-lived as the blonde frowned and said worriedly, "I hope they're fine…"

A thick silence enveloped the room before Selphie's voice was heard, "Aww! C'mon, guys! It's Squall we're talking about here, remember?" when the teens' gazes settled on the brunette, her smile widened, "I bet they're safe… and making up for the wasted time." finished the tiny SeeD with a wink.

ooo ooo

The Ragnarok's huge frame descended, forming a whirlwind of sand as its turbines' hot air reached the desert's ground.

The General signaled his troops to close in the draconian ship, surrounding it as it finally landed. Mitchell got out of his vehicle, narrowing his eyes as the bright sunlight hurt them slightly. His expression turned darker as the Ragnarok's rear entrance opened, displaying a platform and revealing a cargo bay.

A lone, slender figure emerged from the ship's interior and the man couldn't help but be surprised by _Calipso's_ appearance.

She was an ordinary girl no older than 19 who definitely was far from the extravagantly-clad woman he envisioned every time he heard the word 'Sorceress'.

Could this girl really be the _Calipso_ they were looking for?

The one they'd codenamed after the first Estharian ruler?

His answer came as his grey eyes locked with her cold, golden ones. The amber irises held the same gleam he'd once seen in Adel's crimson gaze and the General felt the same shiver the powerful woman's stare had always provoked in him.

"Sorceress Rossane," said Mitchell approaching the platform's bottom, before bowing slightly, "Hyne descendant."

The raven-haired didn't move nor reply, keeping her piercing gaze trained on the older man, increasing his discomfort.

The General forced a smile, "On behalf of our President, I welcome you to Esthar, my Lady. I've been requested to escort you to the Memorial's facilities. We have prepared the proper accommodations for you to rest–"

At this, the girl smirked, "Just like Adel, I assume."

Mitchell's face paled at her statement and his heart froze at her subsequent, humorless chuckle. Her words were heard again, the girl's voice lowering and acquiring an even darker tone, "You really thought I would let low creatures like you to seal me away as you did with her?"

Her golden eyes gleamed with malice before several painful cries were heard. Wide-eyed, the General turned to look at his men, only to find them set ablaze.

ooo ooo

Stormy eyes opened, closing again almost immediately as the bright sunlight hurt them. The brunet shifted his uncomfortable position on the floor, cursing under his breath as his bones cracked and his muscles screamed in pain. His back, especially, was killing him.

Suddenly awake by the sharp pain, Squall whipped his head in the raven-haired's direction, only to find she was missing.

"Rosie?" called the Commander tentatively as he slowly rose to his feet. Feeling sudden warmth on his frame, he turned to face the small window, his eyes narrowing at the sight of seemingly endless sands glinting like powdered gold under the sunlight.

They were finally back.

A loud explosion reached his ears, the sudden noise making the brunet almost jump out of his skin. Blue-grey eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat at the thought of Ultimecia's golden eyes staring back at him from Rosie's face.

Grabbing Revolver from a nearby desk, Squall turned and quickly ran in the blast's direction.

ooo ooo

"Sir, we are receiving a distress call from General Mitchell's troops," said the trooper saluting the estharian leader.

"What?! From where?" asked the President, rising from his seat, "Have the monsters breached our shields?"

"No, sir. The call comes from outside the city's perimeter."

Seagul frowned, "Outside the perimeter? What the hell is Mitchell doing there?"

The soldier shook his head, "I don't know, sir… but whatever it was, it must be important. He took all his best men with him."

The Advisor's frown deepened, "Thanks, corporal. Establish communication with Minister Zabac, he must be about to arrive to the General's quarters."

The trooper saluted both men, before turning around and exiting the room.

Seagul's eyes left the closing door to settle on the man still standing behind the elegant desk. At his friend's inquisitive stare, the Advisor shook his head, "To be completely honest, I don't like this one bit."

The President folded his arms and smirked, "What? You think they're trying to overthrow me?"

When his friend didn't reply, the estharian leader's amusement vanished, "… they are?"

ooo ooo

"Minister!" exclaimed a tech, stumbling backwards to avoid being overrun by the towering man, "Sir, what are you doing here?"

Zabac's dark blue eyes narrowed as he scanned the chamber. The other 10 men in the room had halted their activities to watch as the bulky Minister of Defense moved to the General's office.

"I'm sure you have already heard of the attack on Mitchell's troops and since the General didn't inform the President of the purpose of his mission outside Esthar's borders, I've been appointed to investigate."

"But, sir… the office is lock–" the man's voice faltered when Zabac effortlessly tore the pad from the wall, making the electronic door to open.

"It isn't anymore," said the Minister with a smug smile, dropping the useless gizmo to the floor. The tall blond stepped inside the room, frowning at the computer's screen. Moving towards the desk, he blessed his luck as he noticed the General had forgotten to shut his computer off. Surely the damn bastard was positive no one would ever dare to enter his private study…. and from the personnel's frightened glances, Zabac bet they wouldn't even blink without Mitchell's approval.

The Minister's eyes narrowed further as he located the info he required.

"Son of a…" cursed the man under his breath as he read the file labeled 'Operation Vanishing'… no wonder the General's rescue teams had returned empty handed.

Zabac's frown deepened and he felt his blood boiling with anger as he scrolled down the document. The more he read, the more he wanted to tear the General to pieces and then fed them to a pack of rabid Tri-faces.

However, the Minister's anger didn't reach its peak until he found the part of the operation regarding 'Princess' and Mitchell's intent of destroying the girl that had become as dear as a daughter not only to his friends, but also to himself.

_Ellone._

Frantically, Zabac opened the file, scrolling it down until he reached the operation status. A relieved sigh escaped his lips when the word **'failed'** registered in his mind, "Thank, Hyne…"

His relief, however, was short-lived.

If the operation to get rid of the girl had been a bust… then, where was Ellone?

His hands flew over the keyboard, searching for any other data that could give him a clue of the girl's whereabouts. His frown deepened when he came across another classified file.

"Calipso? What the Hell-?"

Opening the folder, Zabac's eyes widened in horror as he scanned the data concealed inside. No wonder Mitchell wanted to keep this operation a secret… however, it seemed by the recent news on his squad's status, that the secrecy had backfired on him.

Coming across a very familiar name, the Minister's hand immediately left the keyboard to dial up the President's private number. Tapping his fingers over the desk, the blond cursed a little under his breath at the seemingly eternity that passed until the other side of the line came to life.

"_Yeah? What's the news?"_

"I know where Squall is…" at his friend's relieved 'really?', Zabac sighed and shook his head, "… there is a problem, though…"

ooo ooo

"Rosie!"

The raven-haired's smile widened as the last vehicle of the estharian convoy exploded, the heavy, flying debris deflected by her magical shield.

The renewed call of her vessel's name made Ultimecia turn her head to the right where the dark-clad SeeD was standing a few meters from her. The man looked back at her with narrowed, icy eyes that made the Sorceress' already giddy state to increase.

"Have you come to see me off?" the amused words spoken with a hard edge caught Squall completely off guard. His frown deepened when the raven-haired chuckled, the sound completely different from the one he knew.

Clenching his jaw, the Commander took a step towards Rosie's shell, the laughter immediately ceased and the cold gleam of the amber eyes returned in full force.

"Don't," hissed Ultimecia as a warning, lifting a hand in the brunet's direction. His eyes narrowed further at the action and a silent heartbeat passed before he resumed his way, heedless of the Sorceress' advice.

A wind blast enveloped Squall, forcing him to stumble backwards. However, the woman's attack ceased as soon as it had started as she cradled her right hand against her chest, with a painful cry.

The Commander's frown deepened when he detected a white flame around the girl's right wrist. The golden eyes gleamed with power once more as Ultimecia tore her gaze from the wounded wrist and settled it on the young man's face with a cruel smile.

"This is the last time _she_ prevents me from killing you, cursed SeeD," her voice dripped venom as she took a step back, "Enjoy your last breaths, for I promise our next encounter will be your last."

Releasing her injured hand, the Sorceress blew a kiss in the brunet's direction, "Farewell..."

And before Squall could even move, the raven-haired turned around, spreading white wings in the process before vanishing in a rain of pristine feathers.

ooo ooo

Rinoa frowned in confusion as several doctors rushed past the cowboy's room.

"There must be something big going on…" muttered the raven-haired, watching as Quistis moved to the door.

The blonde stopped a nurse, "I'm sorry, miss. But could you tell me what's wrong?

"You still don't know?!" exclaimed the redhead astonished, "With the way the news are spreading through the whole Palace it's a wonder you haven't heard already!"

Quistis' frown deepened "Hear what exactly?"

"The Sorceress!" said the nurse in a high-pitched tone that gained her several hard stares from the doctors around. The woman gulped and lowered her voice, "It's still 'classified' info, but I heard there has been an attack on General Mitchell's troops in the outskirts of Esthar."

"What?!" exclaimed Zell joining the women at the door, "When?"

The nurse shrugged, "I don't know… but the word has been spreading like fire. It's no wonder, though… first Adel and then this one."

"Thank you," muttered Quistis smiling. The redhead nodded and walked away.

"Do you think...?"

Zell turned in Selphie's direction, nodding, "Rosie."

"Then Squall is alive too, right?" said Rinoa, switching her gaze from Zell to Quistis and back again.

The martial artist exchanged a look with the other blonde and frowned. However, it was Irvine's voice the one that broke the silence, "I bet 50 gil he is," he smiled and got up slowly, "And I'm sure he wouldn't mind us dropping by to say 'hello'."

ooo ooo

"Welcome to our humble base," said Seifer smirking as he glanced down at the short haired girl that had managed to avoid the galbadian army for several months.

Ellone frowned, her expression both frightened and incredulous at the blond's sight. She had seen that face before… though the smile she remembered was nothing compared to the malicious, smug gesture the tall man now exhibited.

"S-Seifer?" asked the woman tentatively, hoping her assumption was wrong.

However, the Knight nodded and his smirk widened, "I'm touched you remember my name."

Ellone's heart fell. What could have possibly changed the spirited boy she'd known so much? He'd always been a smartass and the typical bully, but she knew he would never come to this extent…

"Now, dear Sis," said the blond as he grabbed her arm and pulled the girl to her feet, "Let me show you your new quarters."

ooo ooo

The monster's huge frame collapsed between a cloud of dust. A lithe, gracious figure jumped from above the Behemoth's bloodied corpse, landing with a cat's agility as the twin katanas she wielded returned to their respective sheaths in the depths of her long coat.

Her olive green eyes wandered through the battlefield and the mixed white and dark SeeDs along the estharian soldiers fighting the monsters all through the city's highways. Her gaze finally settled on the tall, dark haired man fighting the huge, cat-like monster several meters away from her position. Noah used his trident, impaling the Torama before discharging a powerful Firaga spell on the creature, whose shrilly cries extinguished soon, along with its life.

Ana had to smile. Seemed the White SeeD Captain was a very good fighter after all.

A deep growl behind her made the brunette leave her thoughts and whirl in place. With impressive speed, her twin katanas left their sheaths once more. The silver blades flashed as they trapped the descending axe of the Iron Giant between them. The Headmistress turned to the left, letting the massive weight of the monster overbalance it, watching as the blue armored creature landed flat on its face. With a flickering motion, a powerful whirlwind left her blades tossing the heavy Iron Giant in the air.

Ana jumped after it, slashing the monster repeatedly in a matter of seconds, before turning in midair and landing above the creature's badly injured body. The Iron Giant growled in rage, raising its axe to deliver a blow to its offender only to have the blade intercepted by a golden trident and a silver katana.

"This one's mine," protested Ana, glaring half-heartedly at the other SeeD.

Noah smiled, "Well, you can't blame me for wanting to have a little more action. You've taken most of the monsters."

"That's because…" she whirled around, slashing off the Iron Giant's arm with her other blade. The axe flew from its hand a second before the brunette's katanas found the monster's weak point, piercing the space between its eyes and killing it instantly, "… you're too slow," finished Ana with a smirk before turning around and running once again into the battlefield.

The dark haired Captain watched as the Headmistress got away. With an amused whistle, Noah shouldered his trident and smiled, "And here I thought I could be the Knight in shinning armor."

ooo ooo

Cid sighed relieved at the news.

It seemed Hyne hadn't abandoned them, after all.

His attention returning to the radio system, the Headmaster asked, "Where is he?"

"_We were informed his transport landed in Kazabahald's Desert, sir,"_ replied Quistis over the com, _"We're already on our way."_

"Understood," said Cid while receiving a report from a saluting SeeD, "Make haste."

The blonde's reply was lost as another louder and cheerer voice was heard, _"Yes, sir!"_ followed by several surprised yells and the increased roaring of an engine.

"_Wait, Selphie!" _

"_He didn't mean we have to go in supersonic speed!"_

"_Ahhhh! Let me out of here!"_

ooo ooo

The hairs in the back of his neck rose, making a shiver travel down his spine. Jade green eyes narrowed and his whole body tensed as he sensed a presence standing behind him. His right hand lowered to grab Hyperion's hilt, ready to slash in half whatever menace laid in the shadows, waiting, preying.

"It has been such a long time, my lovely Knight."

The soft voice made Seifer's blood freeze. Whirling around, the blond watched with widened eyes as the familiar raven-haired slowly materialized from the thick, metallic wall, surrounded by a white mist.

"Kid…" muttered the tall man in awe. However, as soon as he locked his eyes with cold, amber ones, Seifer immediately dropped to one knee, bowing his head deeply, "Welcome back, my Sorceress."

Ultimecia smiled. Her right hand caressed the blond's coarse cheek before settling her index finger below his chin, "Rise, my Knight," when Seifer complied, golden eyes left his face to scan her surroundings, "Is everything prepared?"

He nodded, "Adel's Tomb is guarded as you requested," his trademark smirked appeared at the thought of their most recent guest, "And we've finally captured Ellone."

Amber eyes seemed to brighten at the news, "You have done well, my Knight."

Seifer bowed deeply at the praise, "Thank you, my Sorceress. I live only to serve you."

Ultimecia smirked and ran a cold hand through gold-like hair, "Of course you do."

And it was true. Her mental grip on the blond man had been strengthening through time, and although she'd been inactive during the time she'd inhabited her current vessel, inducing the girl into a comatose state, her simple presence in this time had been enough to keep him under control.

The Sorceress' smirk widened.

Yeah, she'd done a very good election… this man's innate power was great and she'd exploited it as much as she could.

However, his role still hadn't expired.

"We must prepare, my Knight," said the raven-haired turning to look at the end of the large corridor they were standing at, "The SeeDs will come soon and we must give them an appropriate welcoming."

Seifer smirked and bowed again, "As you wish, my Sorceress."

ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo

_Author's note:_

_Hiya! __***hides under the table***__ Ok! Don't hurt me! I know it's been more than a month since the last time I updated and I'm SO sorry for that!_

_All I'll say is that I've fired that slacker of a Muse I had. Really, writer's block hit me hard this time. I almost feared I would never be able to finish this damn chapter, but again I have to thank my dear Beta for the wonderful inspiration she sent me in a ZIP file yesterday._

_Thanks, dear :D_

_As I said, y__ou renewed my faith._

_And now I'm back with another Muse that is far more strict than the previous, so it's going to be hard not to write something during his rule. __***shivers***_

_Anyway! Thanks, as always, to all my dear reviewers. Dagger, honey, thanks a lot for your comments. I'd like to see this game re-made too. Why are they only doing it with FF7? I liked that one too, but what I'd give to see Squall made in many more polygons! XD_

_I want to thank especially Caellach Tiger Eye for pointing me to a song that definitely inspired me to write the whole Rosie-Ultimecia magic deal bit. It's called "When you love someone" and there's this line that says: "You risk it all, no matter what may come, when you love someone." I guess this could be very well applied here, don't you agree? :D_

_Well, gotta go. Duty calls._

_Love ya all!_

_Celestial Rage_


	69. Chapter 69 Twists of fate

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... if I did, I would be the happiest person in the world, that's for sure! _

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 69: Twists of Fate**

By CelestialRage

She was gone.

The rain of pristine feathers still fell around him, bathing the brunet's frame with their soft glow. His eyes lingered on a nearby plume and Squall extended a hand, trying to catch it.

However, the wandering feather disappeared before its glinting form could even touch the Commander's dark glove.

His fist clenched and stormy eyes closed in anger as he remembered the last moments. The coldness in her voice, the icy amber of her piercing gaze and the soulless kiss she'd sent him before vanishing like a daydream.

_Rosie…_

Her smiling face flashed in his mind, along with the feeling of her body pressed tightly against his as she softly kissed his doubts away.

"FUCKING HELL!" screamed Squall at the top of his lungs, trying to release some of the pressure in his chest.

He was so frustrated!

So angry! Not only at Ultimecia, but also at himself for being unable of protecting Rosie.

He'd sworn he wouldn't fail her again…

… yet, here he was.

_But what could I do?!_

He'd tried to make the raven-haired snap out of Ultimecia's control as she'd done back inside his room, but his efforts had been for naught. His eyes narrowed as he remembered the white flame that had hurt Rosie's hand when she'd used that wind attack on him.

"_This is the last time _she_ stops me from killing you, cursed SeeD…"_

Ultimecia's words made his heart clench tighter. Even in the witch's hold, Rosie had refused to harm him… but why hadn't she come back to her own self like before?

Did that mean the Sorceress' hold on her was getting stronger?

That she would lose herself to Ultimecia?

Squall's eyes narrowed further, his fists clenching tighter at his sides. There was no way he would allow that to happen. Turning sharply on his heels, the Commander paid no heed to the burning corpses the witch had left in her wake and hurriedly returned to the Ragnarok.

_Hang on, Rosie. I'm coming for you._

The brunet's mind reeled with thousands of images and possibilities. He knew Ultimecia would most likely return to wherever Adel's Tomb had fallen. After all, gaining possession of the other Sorceress' body was the timeless witch's primary objective.

And when that happened…

… Rosie would most likely be killed.

And of course, the entire human race along with her.

The small lift carried him to the cockpit and, as soon as the brunet took a step towards the controls, he froze. How the Hell was he supposed to fly the damn thing? And more importantly, _where_ could he start his search?

A gloved hand raked his copper bangs back. Despair started growing inside him like a venomous cancer that threatened to rip him apart. His mind reeled, analyzing his current situation and finding even more odds against him.

Even if he knew where to find Rosie, rushing alone was definitely not an option. Not with Ultimecia still occupying her body and the immense magic resources she'd at her disposal.

However, if he didn't do something and quick, Time Compression would start.

And all would be lost.

Taking a deep breath in hopes of steadying his racing heart, Squall cleared his mind. Worrying alone certainly did nothing to solve the situation and the Commander knew he had to keep his cool if he wanted to come up with a viable plan.

Unlike the time when he'd carried Rosie to Esthar, Squall was confronted by a no-win situation. Back then, there was nothing he could lose by trying.

But this time… he could lose everything he'd come to cherish if he didn't play his cards smartly.

The brunet closed his eyes, raising a hand to support his aching forehead. The several dreadful outcomes of their new predicament played again for his mind's eye in an endless loop, increasing his headache. Forcing the pain aside, Squall analyzed the possible routes of action, weighting his options until he finally came to an agreement.

No matter what he ended up doing...

_... I can't do it alone._

An incredulous huff left his lips as this realization hit him, shaking his world and turning it upside down. It was the first time he'd thought that out loud. Even though there had been times when he was forced to work with others to achieve victory, Squall had never wanted to do it in the first place.

He'd always assumed he was on his own.

Then… when had he become dependant on others?

Even when he'd inadvertently allowed Rosie inside the walls of his heart, the rest of his comrades, his _friends_, had remained in the outside.

But now…

The smiling faces of the other SeeDs flashed in his mind.

"_We want you to rely more on us. Don't just bottle everything inside, if there's something you need... anything, let us know."_

"_We'll be there for you... we've always been, whether you realize it or not."_

His arms folded over his chest, pressing the cold lion-like emblem against his chest. In the end, the Commander had to admit he'd lost the battle. Despite his every intent of keeping his solace, despite his fears and wariness about the consequences of letting his guard drop, his friends' words and actions had made him finally realize what had been the most definite truth since the beginning.

He, the famed lonely wolf, was in dire need of help.

And oddly enough, Squall found he _wanted_ to be helped.

_Well, _– he thought with the shadow of a smirk, – _stranger things have been known to happen…_

Like finding his orphanage pals after so many years and against all odds. Or having a Sorceress from the future struggling to destroy all life by accomplishing a very complicated spell that required the aid of the only family Squall had ever known…

… Or the one that ranked top in his list: him falling for a girl from another world.

Just how many chances of that happening could there be?

Still, Squall was reluctant to believe in Fate. He didn't like the idea of having his life already planned for him, finding himself unable to do anything against it.

No… He shaped his own destiny.

With skill, stubbornness, hope and even a little luck.

And now was certainly not an exception… He'd pour every resource he had available to get Rosie back and finally defeat the damn witch that had made his life a living Hell lately.

Making up his mind, the Commander narrowed his eyes and walked to the radio. Switching it on, he hoped against all odds that they'd landed near enough to Esthar so that someone could pick up his transmission.

ooo ooo

"Get back to your posts!" ordered Seifer sharply at the soldiers lingering in their way. The stunned galbadians recovered soon and between clumsy and nervous salutes rushed to the opposite end of the hall where the raven-haired and the tall Knight were walking through.

"It is no surprise they do not recognize me inside this new shell," said the Sorceress nonchalantly, her face darkening with a cruel smile, "But I am sure that will change very soon."

"I'll make certain of that, my Sorceress."

She shook her head, "Worry not, my lovely Knight. This body is merely a temporary one," at the blond's confused stare, Ultimecia elaborated, "This girl holds no value to me anymore."

He frowned, "But I thought you'd be able to achieve Time Compression with her."

Golden eyes narrowed with unhidden fury, "She was a deceiving fool, my Knight," her low hissed reply was replaced by a calmer tone after a brief pause, "Though I must admit, her knowledge has come very in handy… Alas! Time Compression would have to wait until tonight."

The Sorceress stopped at the large double doors that led to her quarters, "I wish to rest now, my Knight," golden eyes lifted to meet his jade ones, "Make all the preparations necessary to deflect the SeeDs' attack."

Seifer bowed, "Yes, my Sorceress."

A low growl startled the blond, who straightened and was surprised to see the raven-haired's face flushed. The loud sound repeated and the Sorceress turned around sharply, avoiding the tall man's interested gaze.

"And have some refreshments delivered to my room as soon as possible," ordered the woman opening the door and disappearing even before the Knight could reply.

Seifer smiled amusedly and turned on his heels, walking towards the control room.

The Sorceress sighed inaudibly as the booted, heavy footsteps grew fainter.

Just what she needed! Who would have thought that this girl's body would be in dire need of food? Hyne! She couldn't believe she'd just embarrassed herself in front of her Knight!

Ultimecia frowned.

The sooner she got rid of her current vessel, the better…

ooo ooo

"Sir, I have urgent news on General Mitchell."

The Counselor nodded and excused himself, flashing a wide, charming smile at his fellow chairmen before standing up and walking to a far windowpane to ensure the privacy of the conversation. Taking a sip of the expensive wine, Hardin smiled. Surely his friend had already accomplished his mission and couldn't wait to tell him.

Oh, yes… victory had such a sweet taste!

"Well?" he asked the soldier without tearing his gaze from the city's landscape.

"… General Mitchell's troops have fallen, sir."

The Counselor's almost choked, "WHAT?!" his glass slipped from his grip and shattered loudly, spilling its contents on the otherwise pristine floor. The room fell immediately silent and Hardin cursed himself for dragging the attention of the other politicians.

"Is something wrong?" asked an elderly woman, an interested gleam brightening her old, green eyes.

Hardin forced a smile, "Do not worry, my dear Dreide. It's just a minor setback. Nothing that can not be solved," motioning the trooper to follow him out of the chamber, he added, "If you excuse me, I'll oversee this issue personally."

The Counselor's smile vanished as soon as the heavy, metallic doors closed, a frown appearing instead, "How bad is the situation?"

The trooper gulped at the other man's cold tone, "Very bad, sir. We lost the whole unit."

"And the General?"

"… Dead."

Hardin's frown deepened. He'd certainly lost not only a highly trained officer and an entire unit of the best soldiers, but also a very important piece of his plan. The Counselor started walking through the wide corridor, paying little heed to the hesitant footsteps of the soldier behind him.

How was he going to replace Mitchell's loyal services?

Now that the SeeDs had reached the capitol and…

His heart froze.

Turning around sharply, Hardin asked, "What about the mission?"

"S-sir?"

"Mitchell's mission!" he growled impatiently, "What is the status on _Calipso_ and the SeeD Commander?"

The trooper shook visibly at the powerful politician's enraged state, "I-I'm afraid I don't know, sir… there's no report… but we assume that at least she is alive. According to the S.O.S. message we received, she was the one that destroyed the General and his unit."

Hardin cursed under his breath. This certainly made things even more difficult, not only for him, but all Esthar as well.

A rogue Sorceress was the last thing the Counselor wanted.

ooo ooo

His heart skipped a beat when the radio clicked and a familiar, loud voice exclaimed, _"SQUALL! Oh, my Hyne! Hey, guys! I've got Squall on the radio!"_

The sounds of people moving towards Selphie's position were heard between surprised and relieved exclamations, all of which, made the stoic Commander crack a very small smile.

"_Selphie, hand me the com… Squall? Are you there?"_

"Yes, Quistis," he could almost see the blonde's relieved smile at his reply, "Where are you?"

"_We're getting closer to your position–"_

Selphie interrupted the ex-instructor, _"Yup! Don't worry, Squally! The cavalry is on its way!"_

The brunet made a face, "…Squally?"

ooo ooo

Ellone shivered in the darkness of the room.

Although her 'accommodations' were not as cold or hard as she'd expected, the atmosphere surrounding her made her tremble. The loud humming of the Pandora's engines, working to keep her afloat made sleep near impossible… not to mention the dozens of footsteps she could hear along the walkways leading to her prison.

Another shiver racked her body and the dark haired girl curled herself tighter. She hadn't been this scared since she'd been trapped in Odine's laboratories a life time ago.

Tears escaped her eyes at the thought.

How she wished _he_ could save her again!

ooo ooo

Ten minutes later, the small aircraft Vaugham had borrowed the SeeDs landed next to the Ragnarok's far larger frame.

"Yo, Squall!" greeted Zell, getting off the vehicle with a bounce. He then turned and helped Thelma, who looked as white as chalk. The brunet smirked a little, figuring the rest of his friends had already gotten used to Selphie's mad driving skills.

Rinoa approached the Commander and gave him a quick hug, "I'm so glad you're ok!"

He nodded in reply, breaking the embrace softly and turning his attention to Quistis, "How did you know where to find me?"

The blonde gave him a wide smile and shrugged, "Vaugham told us."

"Yeah, and he borrowed us this airship!" added Selphie jumping off the small, but fast-looking vehicle, "It's really cool!"

"And in the capable hands of my lady," said Irvine leaning against the aircraft's entrance and flashing the tiny brunette his most charming smile, "is even faster."

Squall's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the numerous bandages around the cowboy's body, "What happened?"

"You mean this?" asked the auburn-haired man lifting an injured arm, before shaking his head, "We had landing complications."

"Are Piet and Ellone alright?"

Quistis form shifted beside him, making the Commander's eyes focus on her. The look in her azure eyes immediately answered his query. Squall's frown deepened, "What happened?"

"Everything, man!" exclaimed Zell, raising his hands in the air, "First we had this fucking Lunatic Panorra–"

"Pandora, Zell" corrected the ex-instructor sternly.

"Pandora, then!" growled impatiently the martial artist, "It came out of nowhere carrying the galbadian troops. There was a huge battle in the city and we couldn't stop the damn thing's advance."

"Remember what Piet showed us in the monitor? All those monsters on the Moon's surface?" when Squall nodded, Irvine continued, "This Lunatic Pandora was behind the whole Lunar Cry. Apparently there's a crystal inside it that increases gravity and 'calls' over the monsters in the Moon."

"And what's worse," interrupted Selphie, "because of that, the whole city is infested with monsters! The rescue teams weren't able to pick everyone from the pods in time…" as the brunet's head whipped in her direction, the tiny SeeD added, "Oh! But don't worry about Sis… well, she was not trapped in that situation…"

His eyebrows raised in a silent question of 'Then?'

Selphie bit her lip, "She is inside the Pandora. The galbadians captured her."

The Commander's eyes narrowed, "Seems she planned the whole thing flawlessly."

A delicate, golden eyebrow raised, "Ultimecia?"

Squall nodded in Quistis' direction, "She did the whole thing so Adel's tomb would fall along with the Lunar Cry…" his eyes closed but opened almost immediately as Rosie's cold expression flashed in his mind, "… and now she has Sis and a new body to move around."

Several gasps were heard, before Quistis' low voice dared to voice the SeeDs' query, "Rosie?"

The Commander nodded curtly, folding his arms over his chest and focusing his gaze over the several burnt remnants of the estharian patrol surrounding the Ragnarok's impressive frame.

"You mean she did all of _this_?!" asked Zell in shock, as he followed Squall's gaze, "Man! I thought _you _did!" when the brunet's eyes focused on him, the martial artist shrugged, "We heard there had been an attack on some General's troops… figured that if they were here to harm her, you would have stopped them."

Squall's frown deepened.

Yeah, he would have stopped _them_… but how could he stop _her_?

"_Pierce my heart with your sword, SeeD. End my life as you're destined to do."_

His hands clenched at his sides, setting his jaw angrily. No way he'd do that! Not while Ultimecia's soul was inside Rosie's body.

There _had_ to be some way to destroy the damn witch without harming the raven-haired girl…

"Seems our job got more complicated," Irvine's voice interrupted the Commander's train of thought. The cowboy's expression was dark, quite a contrast to his normally aloof personality.

Quistis nodded, hanging her head.

The heavy, silent atmosphere that surrounded the group was suddenly interrupted by Selphie's high-pitched voice, "What are you guys saying?!" demanded the tiny SeeD angrily, "We can't give up yet! She's one of us!"

Thelma's eyes softened, "Selphie… we know that, but…"

The brunette shook her head, "No buts! There's gotta be a way, right Squall?" her emerald eyes turned on him for support, all the other SeeDs following her example.

"… I really don't know…" muttered the Commander lowly.

His eyes closed briefly to block Selphie's betrayed look, letting Rosie's image replace it. The ache in his chest grew stronger and for a minute Squall had to remind himself how to breathe.

Finally, blue-grey orbs appeared and narrowed in determination, "… but still I'll try."

He might lose the game in one hand, but he would be damned if he let this chance pass.

"Woo-hoo!" cheered the tiny SeeD, "That's what I wanted to hear!" she quickly saluted the Commander, flashing a wide smile in his direction, before bolting inside the Ragnarok.

"We'll be needing all the help we can gather," said Irvine jumping off Vaugham's aircraft with a small wince at his landing.

Quistis nodded, "I suggest we speak with the Estharian President. I'm sure he'll be willing to help us out… especially since a threat like Adel would be unleashed over his country unless we stop the galbadians."

Squall had to agree. Aside from the fact the estharian's technology and numbers would aid SeeD's army greatly, the Commander was still curious about their leader, the man who had imprisoned the dangerous Sorceress 17 years ago.

Surely his strategies would be very helpful in the upcoming battle.

"Yo! And don't forget doctor Odine," added Zell with a grin, "He knows everything about the Pandora. I'm sure he could spare us a map."

"Yeah, we don't want to get lost again," said Quistis smirking.

Before the SeeDs could start their usual bickering, Squall's commanding tone was heard, "We have to figure out how to fly this thing first," he turned to look at the Ragnarok. As if on cue, the airship's powerful engines came back to life after long years without usage.

"What the HELL?!" shouted Zell surprised.

Quistis smirked, "I don't know why, but I have a feeling Selphie has already solved our problem."

Rinoa smiled nervously, "Is that a good or bad thing?"

Thelma leaned against the martial artist's body, holding onto his arm as she paled considerably, "Bad… at least for my stomach…"

ooo ooo

The President reread the report, finally releasing the breath he'd been holding. His deep, green eyes turned to look at his Advisor, "Are you sure?"

The dark-skinned man nodded, "Don't worry about him. He's in one piece… and for what I heard in the Airstation control, on his way to the capitol."

The estharian leader frowned, "And what about the girl that was with him? You know, the new Sorceress?"

Seagul frowned and folded his arms over his chest, "Apparently she was who decimated Mitchell's troops," his dark eyes settled on his friend, "We don't know if it was in self-defense, though… with the data we just uncovered, it might be possible."

The President tensed, "And if it wasn't?"

The Advisor sighed, "I don't like it more than you. But we gotta think on Esthar's people. It's bad enough that Adel's Tomb is in the galbadians' hands…"

"I know," his low reply echoed through the room. The dark haired man stood from his chair and turned to face the wide windowpane, losing his gaze over the city's skyline. The sky was still a deep crimson and the President briefly wondered when his people would be able to see the sun again.

"We'll work on it…"

Seagul frowned at the mumbled words. However, before he could ask his friend their meaning, the estharian leader turned around with a small smile and said, "We have lots of work to do. Please tell Alexander to greet them back and bring them over. I can't postpone our reunion any further."

The Advisor nodded, "Sure thing."

ooo ooo

Ana's eyes shifted from the huge, grey beast that lied lifelessly on the road to the cadet approaching her at amazing speed.

"Ma'am!" saluted the young boy once he was before the Headmistress.

"What is it Ryu?"

"An urgent message from Headmaster Cid, ma'am."

Ana frowned, "Cid? Is he alright?"

Ryu nodded, "Yes. He wants you and Captain Noah to return to the Presidential Palace at once, ma'am."

The Headmistress eyes narrowed further. Whatever the elder man wanted to discuss it had to be big… otherwise she highly doubted he would request her and Noah's presence knowing they were more valuable on the battlefield.

Ana nodded, "Thanks, Ryu. I'll talk to the Captain."

ooo ooo

Twenty minutes later, and for the astonishment of everyone in the Airstation, the long-lost Ragnarok landed with little difficulty and even certain amount of grace as Selphie expertly maneuvered it as though the draconian ship was nowhere bigger than a compact car.

A couple of minutes later, another smaller ship descended and a tall, beautiful blonde jumped out of the cockpit.

Vaugham was already waiting for the SeeDs at the Airstation. The Minister grinned and approached the huge, crimson airship, "Glad to see you're back," said the man looking at Squall.

The Commander only nodded in reply before moving onto business, "We would like to see the President. There's much we need to discuss."

The older man chuckled, "Well, seems you both think of the same. Actually he sent me to escort you back to his office."

"So we're finally meeting the President?!" exclaimed excitedly Selphie, "Cool!"

The tiny SeeD's excitement elicited another chuckle from the Minister as he turned around and led the group to the vehicle waiting for them.

ooo ooo

Her thumb left the dark band circling her wrist and dropped to her side as the giant doors opened. Golden eyes inspected the chamber, settling on the only object occupying the otherwise empty room.

The raven-haired walked towards the Sorceress prison, stopping barely a feet away from the place where Adel's inhumanly strong and tall body was resting. The colossal redhead still remained half-frozen in the cold slumber that had been forced upon her and Ultimecia's eyes narrowed at the sight of the impressive woman.

Closing her eyes, the smaller Sorceress willed her powers to focus on her 'sister'. Her frown deepened when she realized Adel's power had radically decreased thanks to her prolonged slumber and it would take a long time for the Sorceress to recover enough to channel her current vessel's power.

Ultimecia sighed angrily.

_Time._

Ironic she didn't have the luxury of it right now.

Although she knew that the SeeDs would attack the galbadian's base, the exact moment of this event was unknown. The child Sorceress had not been able to reveal this piece of information to her, not even after torturing her soul and Ultimecia had no choice but to accept the girl knew nothing on this regard.

However, the connection of their souls had given the timeless witch a good dose of helpful data, much of which involved the final battle inside her castle. Ultimecia couldn't help but admire the SeeDs stubbornness… to think they would go to the extent of travelling through time just to destroy her was kind of flattering.

Alas! She wouldn't have the opportunity to greet them in her home, as much fun as it would have been…

No. The final battle would be fought inside the huge monolith's walls… the Box of Pandora would contain once more a lethal, hopeless darkness.

Here she would claim her victory over Fate and mankind. Here, she would destroy those who oppose her and achieve the perfect existence.

Here, Time Compression would start.

And life would end.

ooo ooo

"Squall," the Headmaster's voice greeted the newcomers as soon as they turned the corner leading to the President's office. Cid's face lit with happiness as he approached the group and smiled widely in the Commander's direction, "It's good to see you're safely back, son."

The brunet nodded in reply, feeling a little uncomfortable under the gazes of the other SeeD leaders. Ana and Edea smiled warmly in his direction, while Noah gave him a polite nod and kept his distance, leaning against a wall behind the Headmistress' chair.

Vaugham walked along them, stopping before a pair of beautifully decorated doors, "If you would please follow me. The President is waiting for you."

The doors opened with a quiet _whoosh_ and the SeeDs complied. As soon as they took a step inside the President's office, they were stunned by the sheer beauty of the chamber. Being entirely made of pressure resistant crystal, the room gave its visitors a marvelous, unparalleled view of the Estharian capitol.

Squall's attention, however, was not settled on his surroundings. Blue-grey eyes narrowed as he gazed for the first time at the President and the two figures standing on each side of him.

The leftmost was a bulky, blond man with a thick beard that helped cover what seemed a hideous scar that ran all the way from his jaw to the beginning of his hairline. The rightmost was a dark skinned, dark haired man with a moustache whose stance betrayed the agility he must still have despite the years.

_I know this people…_

An image of the three comrades he'd seen during the flashbacks Ellone had made him experience returned at neck-breaking speed to Squall's mind. His eyes widened as the estharian politicians were easily replaced with those familiar faces.

_Ward…._

_…. and Kiros._

_So, that means the President is…?_

As though reading the Commander's mind, the estharian leader took a step towards the group. His surprisingly young features lit with a wide smile, "Welcome to Esthar. My name is Laguna Loire."

ooo ooo

Jade eyes analyzed the blueprints displayed on the huge monitor.

"I think the best place to have the reception party is here," said the blond signaling at the core of the high monolith. His head turned to the right in order to address the shorter albino standing beside him, "Fu, you and Raijin will lead our defenses in this post."

The girl's normal scowl deepened slightly.

"Fu?"

Her crimson eye locked with Seifer's and her heart fell even more as she couldn't find a trace of the inner fire that once lit the green depths. _This_ was not the Seifer she knew... _this_ was not her friend anymore.

_This_ was just a puppet.

A Sorceress' marionette.

"Is there a problem with my order, Fujin?"

_YES!!!_ – she screamed in her mind. There were so many problems with his orders as of lately! Well, if they were actually _his_ orders... though the albino was mostly certain that they were _hers_.

Her jaw set firmly in rage. Why couldn't that bitch leave her friend alone once and for all?! What else could she demand of him when he'd followed her every wish to the letter? What else did the damn witch want from someone whose very essence had already been drained?

When he had nothing of his former self within?

Fujin's eye softened slightly as she scanned Seifer's face.

All she wanted was to have her old friend back. The one that would pick on Raijin for babbling senseless for more than a minute – that was his patience's usual limit -, the one that had carried her on his back after the accident that rendered her other eye useless. The one they could always turn to for they knew he was strong enough to help them out.

And proud enough to never ask for something in return.

The three of them had been together ever since they arrived Garden. Had gone through a lot together and had always come out victorious in the end...

... however, Fujin knew deep in her heart, that this time the outcome might not be in their favor.

Still, she could not just turn her back away from him. Even if he was not the Seifer she knew anymore, Fujin knew she'd rather die by his side than walk away.

After all, Raijin and her were his posse, his loyal friends... his siblings.

And whatever the outcome would be, she'd be right there.

Fujin shook her head slowly, "NEGATIVE," and unsheathing her pinwheel, the albino turned around and left the room without a glance back.

ooo ooo

The President blinked at the astonished – and in Zell's case wide-eyed and mouth hanging ajar – expressions on the young SeeDs' faces.

"Did I say something wrong?" asked Laguna lowly, leaning towards his Advisor as he eyed the group.

Kiros chuckled, "I don't think so. I bet they never expected to see us here."

"Hell YEAH!" replied Zell, finally coming out of his bewilderment, "What the hell are you guys doing here?!"

"You know them?" asked Ana, turning to her sister.

Selphie nodded, "Yeah, well… kind of…" when the Headmistress raised an eyebrow in curiosity, she added, "We know them from the past, not ours, but theirs."

Ana blinked in confusion and shook her head, "Ok, Selph, you've officially lost me."

Selphie's whispered explanation was lost in Squall's mind as his eyes met those of the estharian President. Even though the man should be in his middle 40's, Laguna exhibited little signs of the passing of time. His dark hair was still long, though now he wore it tied in a low ponytail that flowed all the way to the middle of his back. There were a few wrinkles here and there, but Squall could see they were mostly due to the guy's annoying tendency of smiling a lot.

The first time the Commander had looked into the dark green depths flashed in his mind and he couldn't help but wonder how the clumsy, trouble-prone man had accomplished to become the President of the most powerful country in the eastern part of the world.

Especially since the city seemed to run smoothly.

His reverie was interrupted by Laguna's laughter, "We'll have time to discuss that. Please, take a seat," he signaled to several cozy-looking couches and after all the SeeDs had settled, the still smiling man continued, "Well, it's good to finally meet you in person. Ellone told me you were the ones running around in our heads. We always thought it was some kind of faeries or something like that," he chuckled again, "Silly, uh?"

"In any case, I wanted to thank you, guys," said the President after a very brief pause to recover his breath, "You always came around when we needed the extra strength the most. It was always weird to feel that boost of energy in us, but we can't say we're not grateful for it. You know, I always wondered–"

A tap on his shoulder and an electronic voice interrupted his rambling, "Laguna…"

The dark haired man looked over his left shoulder at the impressive Minister of Defense, "Yeah, I know, Ward. I'm babbling again," he sighed and returned his attention to the SeeDs, "Sorry. I get carried away easily."

Kiros snorted, "I'm sure they've already noticed."

The President scratched the back of his head in a nervous habit the SeeDs easily recognized and said, "Well, let's make this different then. Why don't you ask the questions and I'll answer them?"

The Advisor chuckled, "Yeah, that would be more productive. Just keep the answers short, will you? We don't have the whole day."

A high-pitched voice made both men's attention return to the SeeDs, "Me! Me! Me!" said Selphie bouncing slightly on the cowboy's lap and raising her right hand high in the air.

Quistis and Ana sighed in embarrassment at the hyperactive girl's actions, while the rest of the gathering – minus Squall, of course – laughed.

"Take it easy, young lady," said Laguna once controlling his amusement, his eyes drifted and settled on the Commander's stoic face. He'd noticed the young man was the only one that had not shared the small tension-relieving moment.

His eyes saddened a little, "Man, you look way too serious."

Squall's frown deepened, "Whatever."

Laguna cringed a little at the cold response, but said nothing else. Instead, his attention returned to the yellow-clad girl seated on the cowboy's lap, "What do you want to know?"

"Well," chirped the tiny SeeD smiling, "How did you become the President of Esthar, sir Laguna?"

The estharian leader scratched his head nervously again, "Yeah, well... that's a long story," he turned to look at Kiros.

The Advisor sighed in defeat, "Just try to make it short."

Laguna beamed and glanced at the SeeDs again, "Ok. Well, you guys surely remember there was a massive hunt of girls around the world to find Adel's successor," when the group nodded, the President sighed, "Ellone got captured and, even though I was there, I was unable to help her... that is the most painful episode of my life."

"But you managed to rescue her!" added Quistis, gaining a sad smile from the dark haired man.

"Yeah, but I couldn't return with her to Winhill..."

Squall's eyes narrowed, "Why not?"

The Commander had witnessed the extents the once galbadian soldier had gone just to get the little girl back. Why, then, did Ellone ended in an orphanage with the rest of them if she had someone who cared so deeply for her?

Laguna's gaze locked with Squall's as he vehemently spoke, "I wanted to! Don't think for a moment I didn't..." silence reigned inside the room as neither men broke the eye contact nor spoke.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the President sighed and lowered his head, "I promised myself no one would ever hurt Ellone again. That's why I couldn't just return with her to Winhill after rescuing her from Odine's labs. As much as I desired nothing else, there were other forces after little Elle and her special abilities."

Dark green eyes narrowed, "Unfortunately, Adel had her eyes on Elle. She planned on making her her successor, but not in the way Sorceresses normally do," the SeeDs frowned and Laguna continued, "She had Odine working on some kind of machine that would allow her to transfer not only her powers, but also her conscience inside another's body."

"That sounds a lot like Ultimecia..." muttered Irvine darkly.

The President shook his head, "It can't be. You see, after we sealed up Adel, all the records of those experiments were destroyed."

"... Or that's what we were told..." added Kiros frowning deeply, "I think a visit of the doctor might be in order," the dark-skinned Advisor stood up and bowed slightly in the SeeDs' direction, "If you'll excuse me."

Laguna followed his friend's movements as he made a beeline for the door. The President shrugged and returned his attention to the SeeDs, "Anyway! Where was I? Oh, yeah! Adel... well, since I owed the resistance members a huge favor for their help and I couldn't let the Sorceress get her hands on Elle again, we couldn't just pack up and leave."

"That's why I sent Ellone back to Winhill and we stayed to be part of the resistance," continued the dark haired man glancing down at his hands, "There were a lot of inner discussions while we tried to decide the best course of action against Adel. Of course with her being a Sorceress, we needed to be extra careful... just one small slip was enough to have all of us executed..."

Laguna's eyes returned to the SeeDs' faces, stopping briefly on Squall's clearly annoyed one, before continuing, "Anyway, to make things short, we discovered another of Odine's projects," a small smile lit his features, "A magic-sealing facility."

"Magic-sealing?" asked Quistis raising a fine eyebrow.

The President nodded, "It was a side project Odine was developing in secret. He feared Adel's wrath, just like anybody else. But unlike the rest of Esthar's citizens, the doc had a life insurance. Adel would never dare to harm him... at least until she had the tools necessary to turn her world-conquering fantasy into a reality," green eyes narrowed, "That was another issue in our agenda: how to stop the Lunatic Pandora. We couldn't let Adel use the Crystal Pillar to call another Lunar Cry."

Laguna folded his arms and nodded, "Yup, it was a tough task. But..." another wide smile, "... thanks to my awesome plans..." Ward coughed at his side, making the President cringe a little, "Ok, ok, _our_ awesome plans, we came to a solution."

"Since we'd retained Odine as our hostage, we had access to all the research facilities. We followed the doc's instructions and set the coordinates so that the Pandora would float all the way to the ocean and once it stopped... it was bye-bye!"

"Unfortunately, we were found out... and the second stage of the plan had to be rushed." Laguna's smile widened slightly as his mind travelled back to that moment, "We spread the word that we had Ellone hostage inside the sealing facility Odine had been developing. As expected, Adel's troops surrounded the place in minutes, but they didn't breach the entrance."

"Why not?" asked Selphie, whose bright eyes betrayed just how immersed the young girl was in the tale.

The President smiled brightly, "Because Adel herself came down to face us. She was arrogant enough to dispatch her troops and enter the facility alone," Laguna shook his head slightly, "We surrendered, claiming she was the rightful ruler of Esthar and we had been wrong, bla, bla, bla... In any case, she was not interested in disposing of us, yet. As we expected, all she wanted was Ellone."

"So when we showed her where she was, Adel followed us without a thought. That's how I managed to lure her to the sealing device where doc Odine had created a hologram of Elle. As soon as Adel saw it, she knew it was a trap..." his smile widened, "... but it was too late. I managed to knock her enough so that the magnetic field of the sealing device would snatch her."

Laguna shrugged, "And that was it. The machine sealed her powers up, freezing her."

Squall raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "That was all?"

The President nodded proudly.

And the Commander barely resisted rolling his eyes, muttering instead a very low _'_Figures' under his breath.

"Yup, we had Adel out cold, but we couldn't keep her around like a trophy," said Laguna shrugging, "So we decided to send her far, far away."

"That's how the whole Lunar Base project started," added Ward, his electronic voice reminding the younger SeeDs of the reason why he'd to use such a device to talk, "And once it was completed, Adel was put in orbit with the aid of the Ragnarok and her twin sisters: Heimdall and Armageddon."

Laguna nodded, "We didn't know what happened with the Ragnarok until now," his eyes settled once more in Squall, "Guess we have you to thank for that."

The Commander shrugged, "Whatever."

"So what happened after Adel went to space?" asked Selphie with child-like enthusiasm.

The President sighed, "Even though she was out of the scene, problems within the country continued. There were several revolts, most of them between the heads of the resistance. Peace talks between them were impossible, so the people decided to name a new leader... and before I new it, I was elected President."

"I don't know who's idea that was," said Laguna shrugging, "All I really wanted was to go back to Raine..." his voice cracked a little in the end and the dark haired man took a moment to compose himself, "... but things were already in motion and there was still a lot to fix up within the country before I would be able to leave without remorse."

His eyes saddened more, "Never thought staying would bring me greater pain..."

Ward's heavy hand landed on his friend's shoulder and the President sighed, "Yeah, I know..." his gaze returned to the SeeDs and a very weak smile lit his otherwise somber features, "I'm sure you guys are not up to hear that part..." his focus settled on Squall briefly, "And I'm not really sure if I can talk about it either."

The Commander nodded in understanding and Laguna shook his head slightly, dismissing the issue, "Well, enough about the past. Let's talk about the future. I mean, to begin with, on how to protect this world."

Squall's cold voice replaced the dark haired man's one, "You probably know about Adel's new location," when the President and the Minister nodded, he added, "However neither she nor the galbadians are the worst threat."

Laguna frowned, "What do you mean?"

"There is another Sorceress..."

Ward's mechanical tone echoed in the room, "Rossane Bennett, right?"

Squall's eyes closed briefly as he shook his head, "She's not herself at the time," his frown deepened before revealing the cold, blue-grey irises, "Another Sorceress is inside her body. She is the one responsible too for Matron's actions in Galbadia."

Edea's face lowered and Cid's hands immediately wrapped around hers, reassuring her through his touch.

"How can this be?" asked Laguna.

As if on cue, the door to the office opened and a short figure walked in, followed by the scowling Advisor, "I think the doc here might be able to explain this."

Odine huffed and folded his arms, "Odine haz nozing to explain," his resolve, however, faltered as he realized he was alone in a room full of dangerous-looking people who were currently glaring at him with open hostility. The ice contained in a certain pair of blue-grey eyes made him gulp. No man should have a gaze like that.

Only Death himself.

"Well?" asked the President.

Trying to retain some of his dignity, the doctor huffed and snapped a low 'Fine', before shoving aside Kiros and taking a seat in a nearby couch, "Sorceress Edea haz told me everyzing about Ultimecia. Az you know by now," he glanced at the SeeDs and then to the President and his friends, "Or don't... She iz a Sorceress from ze future."

Kiros raised an eyebrow, "From the future? And how does she mess up with our time?"

"She possesses the Sorceresses from the present time," before any of the present could ask how, Odine continued, "Meaning she leavez her body in ze future and only sends her consciousness here," his gaze wandered through the SeeDs' faces, "Zound familiar?"

Quistis frowned, "Sounds like when Ellone used her ability to send us to the past."

The doctor grinned, "You are a zmart one! Odine's firzt guez was she used someone in the future who had Ellone's zame hability... but no! That's not ze answer."

When the small man said nothing else, Squall growled, "Then, what is it?"

The doctor gulped, "When Ellone vas in my lab, Odine scanned her brainwaves and built a pattern from them. Through ze years the research continued until Odine vas able to build a machine by mechanizing the pattern obtained..."

"You mean there's a machine that can mimic Elle's power?!" asked Laguna surprised.

"Not really," replied Odine shrugging, "Zeesh! Ze machine iz barely a toy right now... but in ze future it must be an impressive working artifact!" his voice was high with enthusiasm and pride, "'Junction Machine Ellone' would be working in Ultimecia's time. It iz zo exciting to know my invention is used in ze future!"

"'Junction Machine Ellone'..." muttered Squall with a frown.

_Ultimecia must have known of Sis by that machine. That's why she became her primal target... _

His icy stare settled again on the babbling doctor and his eyes narrowed further, "So all of this is your fault."

Laguna's voice caught the brunet's attention, "It's useless to blame Odine. The harm is already done."

"But can't we just, like, destroy the machine so that Ultimecia has no means of returning to our time?" asked Irvine glancing at the doctor.

Odine shook his head, "Not if you vant to stay alive. If we vere to destroy 'Junction Machine Ellone' or prevent any other of the events zat led Ultimecia's presence to our time, we vould only cause a huge time paradox."

"That doesn't sound good..." muttered Zell, frowning.

The doc huffed, "That iz an understatement."

"The only way to stop her is to travel through time to reach her body," Squall's voice gained the stares of the others present in the room. Blue-grey eyes settled on Odine as he repeated the words he'd spoke once in Cid's office, though back then his listener was a raven-haired girl and he'd been incredulous at the solution, "Let her achieve her Time-whatever."

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author's note: Heya! I'm back again!!! And to quote my dear Beta: "About bloody time" as well._

_I know, I know, I should have updated this earlier... but again, damn work!_

_I want to thank again all my reviewers. You guys are the most wonderful people in the world for your endless patience :D Dagger, honey, thanks again for the encouraging review. You always make my day._

_I've got very little time to update this, so I better get going. ***sigh***_

_Work sucks._

_But I love you all!_

_Celestial Rage  
_


	70. Chapter 70 Death to the world

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... nor do I owe "Twisted Fantasy". That's Revir's masterpiece. I could never have come up with something like that. :D_

**Unexpected Destiny**

**Chapter 70: Death to the world**

By CelestialRage

"Let her achieve her Time-whatever."

Odine's eyes widened, "Exactly!"

How a low mercenary could come up with that conclusion was beyond him. However, the doctor would not allow the credit of this discovery to be handed to anyone but himself, "Az Sorceress Edea told Odine, Ultimecia's main target iz to achieve Time Compression," before any of the SeeDs could make the most obvious query, Odine shook his head and hurriedly continued, "Vat reasons she may have to try it doesn't matter. Let's just figure out vat Ultimecia iz up to."

Squall's eyes narrowed.

Maybe to the rest of them her motives were not a concern. But _he_ wanted to know why the damn witch had decided to make his life a living Hell.

"In order for Ultimecia to exist in zis time, she must take over ze body of a present Sorceress..." the doctor's voice trailed off and he made a pause as he seemed to be considering something. Soon enough, his eyes focused again and he shook his head, dismissing whatever thought that had been nagging his mind, "In any case, 'Junction Machine Ellone' must have a limit–"

"That's why she's looking for Ellone all over," interrupted Ana thoughtfully, gaining an annoyed huff from the doctor. Noah's eyes hardened at the impolite gesture and Odine gulped again before continuing his explanation.

"Indeed. That iz why we must take advantage of Ellone's power."

"But Sis is being held hostage by the galbadians!" exclaimed Selphie.

Irvine smiled, "No one said it was going to be easy."

Kiros' voice gained the youngsters' attention, "Indeed. But..." he added with a smile as his hand reached the interior of his robe and retrieved a small device, "... we can make it easier," with a tap, the Advisor turned on the gizmo and a bright, blue light lit up the office briefly before molding into a 3D rendering of Lunatic Pandora's inner structure.

"Cool!" chirped Thelma enthusiastically.

"Yeah, way better than our model," said Rinoa grinning.

"We can't leave Elle in the enemy's hands," said Laguna frowning, "And even after rescuing her, we can't just keep her away from Ultimecia... Hyne knows she won't stop wreaking havoc until she either achieves her goal or is stopped."

"I vote for the latter," muttered Zell with a smirk.

The President nodded, "Guess we all do," his eyes settled on Squall's face, "Especially since her options of a body are reduced to one of your comrades or a phsyco Sorceress."

Odine shivered, "We can't let Ultimecia possess Adel. Neither Laguna nor Odine vould be safe if she vere to awake."

"Yeah, guess she's still holding a grudge," said Laguna grinning.

Kiros shook his head, "In any case, we have to stop this Sorceress and neutralize the galbadian army inside the Pandora."

"The best way to enter the protective shield is through the base," added Ward, analyzing the digital structure, "But since you..." his dark blue eyes settled on Quistis, Selphie and finally Zell, "... used that to enter the first time, it's most likely that the galbadians will have it heavily guarded."

"How resistant is the shield?" asked Squall narrowing his eyes.

Odine huffed, "It's of Odine's design! Zo the answer is: VERY," this gained another glare from the Commander and another gulp from the doctor, "Fine, fine! Although it's very rezistant, a big, focused blast _could_ veaken the shield."

"Like the one produced by a V12-class beam cannon?" asked Selphie tentativelly.

The shorter man took a minute to ponder and finally nodded.

"Woo-hoo!" exclaimed the brunette excitedly, "We've got one just like that on the Ragnarok!"

"Too bad the twins are out of comission," muttered Kiros, shaking his head, "With Heimdall and Armageddon, that shield wouldn't have lasted more than a few seconds."

"Well, at least we have the Ragnarok on our side," said Laguna with his usual optimism. Turning to look at the SeeDs, the President added, "So, how about it? Ready to kick a future Sorceress' butt?"

Squall frowned, "How exactly do we make it to the future?"

Before Odine could answer, Laguna interrupted, "That's the tricky part. You must kill Adel first, that way Ultimecia's only option would be to possess Rossane–"

"Rosie," snarled the Commander, his eyes narrowing further, "And no way."

Stunned by the brunet's reaction, Laguna sluttered, "I-I'm sorry, son... but that is the only way to ensure our plan will work."

"Squall..." muttered Quistis, looking at him, "... think about it. This all sounds familiar, right?"

"_... with Ellone__'s help and Doc Odine we can travel through time once she achieves her goal."_

The raven-haired's voice reberberated in his head. Yeah, she'd known about this method to anhiquilate Ultimecia... but circumstances had radically changed from what she had known as a fact since the battle against Galbadia Garden.

Rinoa was not the new Sorceress and Rosie was not herself. She wasn't with them either. Instead, she had surrendered her soul to Ultimecia once more. The memory of cold, golden eyes staring back at him beneath raven bangs made his stomach clench.

"_This is the last time _she_ stops me from killing you, cursed SeeD…"_

And all to protect him.

How could Squall do anything else but trying to bring her back alive? What if something went wrong with the new plan and someone got killed? What if _she–_?

The brunet shook his head. He wouldn't let himself even _think_ of that possibility.

But what could be done in this situation then?

Controlling the odd of who Ultimecia would possess in the moment Time Compression took place seemed the key of Odine's plan. But that meant Rosie would have to be the one under the other Sorceress' influence when that happened.

She would be practically helpless in the most dangerous moment...

Squall growled under his breath. He _knew_ it had to be done that way if they wanted to have any chances of succeeding...

... But he didn't like it.

Not one bit.

ooo ooo

Ellone yelped in pain as the galbadian yanked her arm to make her rise.

Her cry was replaced a second later by the trooper's agonized one. His fingers left the vice grip they had on the tender flesh and her eyes widened in horror as the soldier wrythed in pain and fell to his knees, his body enveloped by a white myst.

"I believe I ordered you not to harm her," a soft, cold voice said.

Ellone's eyes tore from the injured man to the owner of the icy tone and her heart skipped a beat.

She had never seen the ordinarily-clad girl but the incredible power flowing from her and the gleam of malice in her eyes told her all she needed to know.

_Sorceress._

The raven-haired's gaze shifted from the soldier to the other girl, causing the galbadian's body to stop convulsing and fold into a foetal position, "That is correct, my dear," Ultimecia's voice rose above the trooper's pained whimpers as she took a step towards Ellone, "I have been waiting so long to finally meet you."

Brown eyes blinked in confusion, eliciting a chuckle from the other woman, "I've searched for you all over the world, my child. First as your beloved Matron," her lopsided smile widened at Ellone's growing horror, "And now in this form."

"W-who are you?"

Ultimecia's golden eyes glowed with power and a startled cry left Ellone as she was hurled against a wall. The impact, however, was not strong enough to cause further injure than knocking the air out of her lungs.

Once regaining her breath, Ellone tried to move, only to find herself tightly bound by several semi-traslucent, glowing ropes. The Sorceress' laughter reached her ears once more when her attempts at getting free proved to be futile.

"If you really want to know my identity," purred the golden-eyed girl with sick amusement, "Why are you so eager to leave?" her smile widened as she approached the still squirming Ellone, stopping barely a feet from her, "Worry not, my lovely. The real fun will start very soon. In the meantime," added the raven-haired gesturing to the right, "please enjoy the company."

Ellone's eyes followed her hand and widened as she recognized the still figure cased inside the Tomb. Adel's eyes fluttered open and focused on the frantically squirming girl, a weak smirk darkening her features.

"I see you both have a lot to discuss and I have to get ready for tonight," said the raven-haired with a smile before turning around and gracefully making her way to the door, "I will see you later, dear."

ooo ooo

"It will be her choice," said Squall finally reaching a decision. Blue-grey eyes narrowed as the next words left him, "If Rosie agrees to help us out, then fine. I won't force her otherwise."

Laguna nodded in understanding, "Fair enough," his somber features lit with a smile, "So, where is she? I know you probably didn't bring her fearing we would seal her up or something like that for what happened to General Mitchell's troops, but I assure you she's safe here."

"Well..." replied Quistis when the Commander remained quiet, "... that's another problem."

The President cocked his head to the side in confusion, "Uh? What do ya mean by that?"

"She's with the galbadians," muttered Squall coldly, "And as I said before, Ultimecia is already occuping her body. That's why we came here originally... to seek Esthar's assistance."

A brief silence followed as Laguna scanned the Commander's face. Finally, the dark haired man nodded, "You have all our support, son," sighing, he then clung his head slightly and muttered, "It's a shame our paths had to cross in a situation like this."

The brunet didn't reply, though he highly doubted they would have met each other had the circumstances have been any different. Deciding to focus on more pressing issues, Squall said, "Now that we have covered all the background, we should plan our attack."

ooo ooo

The crimson sky over Esthar's capitol turned a darker color as twilight neared.

The battle in the streets had decreased its rhythm as most of the threatening monsters within the protective barriers had been aniquilated by both the SeeD and local army.

Rinoa sat in a small couch in Cid's office, watching silently as the SeeDs went over the plan again. The raven haired girl frowned a little at the casual tone they used when referring to the obstacles they'd have to pass to get to where Adel should be guarded. Her heart clenched when Seifer's name was mentioned and she couldn't help the string of images that assaulted her mind.

Seifer laughing hoarsely at some dumb thing she'd said, his jade eyes lit with amusement and that inner passion she'd come to adore; the heavy fabric of his long trenchcoat protecting her from the cold of Deling city's main street as both walked towards a restaurant; the smile on his face as she talked endlessly of her plans to liberate Timber and the softness of his lips when he'd kissed her goodnight...

Remembering those happy moments, Rinoa had a hard time picturing the blond at the front of the army struggling to destroy her new friends: the beautiful Quistis, the cheery Selphie, Irvine, the aloof womanizer, the intense Zell and his kinda looney Thelma, the graceful Ana, the silent Noah and the cold Squall.

Dark eyes wandered from face to face, marveling at just how surreal the whole situation seemed.

What had started like a mission to liberate Timber had led them to a full-scale war between forces that were in an entire different league... to think she'd once believed Vinzer Deling was the worst threat the world could ever face!

She almost laughed at her own naiveness.

Though she had to give herself some credit. Back then, things were simpler, life was happier and troubles were less complicated.

Her brown eyes narrowed at the last thought.

Certainly, the fact that her former – was it too obnoxious to say _boyfriend_? – was involved and a main part of the problem they were facing now didn't help matters any.

Standing from her seat, Rinoa spared one last glance at the SeeD group before quietly leaving the room. A sigh escaped her lips as she leaned against the closed door. She was tired, but the anxiety she felt made rest impossible.

That was why she'd gone to the reunion. She'd figured that knowing what the SeeDs were planning and witnessing the extent of the power that was being displayed, her worries would finally vanish.

However, they'd done nothing but increase.

Her eyes settled on the crimson skies covering Esthar city and she couldn't help the shiver running down her spine at the ominous view. A thunder lit the blood-like clouds and her heart clenched in fear as the Pandora's far away profile glinted under the lightning.

_Seifer_...

ooo ooo

The blond turned at the call of his name, "Yes, Fu?"

Her crimson eye narrowed in determination. Although she'd decided to stay by his side no matter the outcome, Fujin still held onto a slight hope of bringing Seifer to realize the wrongness of the whole deal.

One shot. That was all she got.

And hopefully, all she needed.

Taking a breath to steady her heart, she took a step closer to him, "TALK."

Noticing not only the albino's tensed stance, but also that of Raijin behind her, Seifer frowned. They looked to be ready for a confrontation… and apparently, the issue was with him, "What's up people?"

"Well…" the bronze-skinned teen stole a glance at Fujin – who didn't acknowledge him and continued to stare at the blond – before sighing deeply and finally muttering, "… we've had enough, ya know?"

"What do you mean?"

"We're quitting, ya know?" Raijin shrugged, "We just don't know what's right anymore, ya know?"

Seifer's frown deepened, "Exactly my thoughts. I believed we were a posse… and now you're deserting me?"

Raijin's eyes lowered in pain and shame. The blond's words had wounded him deeply and he couldn't come up with some way to reply at the harsh statement. The girl in front of him took a step towards the Knight and shook her head.

That was what the whole issue was about!

"Posse…" the lack of the normal edge in the familiar voice immediately gained both men's attention. Fujin's tone lowered even more as she stopped barely a foot away from Seifer, "We are. And will always be. Don't you see that's why we're trying to help you?"

The taller man folded his arms, "Why the lecture then?"

"Is this really your dream?" her barely audible words were enough to make his heart skip a beat, "Are you certain you're not being manipulated?" Fujin's eye locked on his, "Because we think you've lost yourself to someone else's ambitions."

Seifer's jade eyes narrowed further.

What the hell was she saying?!

Of course this was his dream!

He finally was the Knight to the Sorceress, his childhood wish had been fulfilled. Just how many people could say that? And to make things even better, he'd soon become the most powerful warrior alive!

Through the timeless woman's power, Time Compression would start and the entire planet would submit to the new order… and he would be standing at Ultimecia's right.

Honor and Glory would be his.

Seifer Almasy's name would be carved in the stone of History and he'd live forever.

She'd shown him all of this time and again, repeating the images and soft, entrancing words like a lullaby that chased away all his doubts.

… of course this was _his_ dream.

Seifer's tone became as icy as Squall's was famed to be, "So, you think I'm nothing but a puppet, uh?"

"She's clouded your mind! Don't you see?!" hissed Fujin angrily, "You wanted to be the best SeeD, to see the world over. You wanted to be a Hero… not the Villain," her voice lowered at the last part, almost spitting the word as though it was poison.

Her crimson eye wandered through his face, "Honor and Glory, Seifer. That was what you wanted… Tell me what you have now," a thick silence enveloped the trio, only interrupted by the constant humming of the Pandora's turbines.

Jade eyes locked on the girl's face as though seeing her for the first time. Fujin's red gaze was full of despair and fear and Seifer's heart fell at the sight.

She didn't understand…

His best friends didn't share his dream.

The Knight's face was unreadable, not even his eyes were able to tell the white-haired woman what was going on inside that thick skull of his. And _this_ scared her more than any reply he'd have given her, because it meant her words were not even being taken into consideration.

Defeated, Fujin shook her head and softened her gaze almost to the point of pleading, "All we want is to have the old you back."

Seifer's frown deepened, "There's no _old_ or _new_ me, Fu. It's always been the same…" his back turned on his friends and the blond started to walk away.

"So, you're planning on going on?!"

His trademark smirk returned as he glanced over his shoulder at the shocked albino. Fujin's normally composed expression now openly showed all the emotions she kept inside and Seifer felt a small tinge of guilt at the vulnerable state of his friend.

He knew she'd left herself exposed to a deathblow.

Still, he would not be the one to deliver it.

"This is the only path for me…" he said lowly before reassuming his way. As he reached the electronic doors separating the large corridor from the control room, Seifer's head turned just enough so he could look at his friends out the corner of his eyes.

"…You don't have to follow it, though," the doors opened and his tall form disappeared behind them.

Fujin's eye widened and she swallowed hard to force the tears back. She couldn't believe he'd chosen to serve that _bitch _to the bitter end!

But what hurt her more was the fact that Seifer had discarded their friendship and loyalty without a second thought…

… He'd chosen the Sorceress above _them._

A worried voice broke her reverie, "Fu… what are we gonna do now?"

Raijin's query helped her fight the pain back, helped her to bottle her emotions with practiced ease and focus on the issue at hand. They had failed and now they'd have to deal with the consequences of that failure.

The albino considered their options.

Yeah, they could leave… but, they'd nowhere else to go. Garden was definitely out of the question. Even if Cid was willing to admit they back, Fujin knew Squall would press them for information regarding Seifer and she'd first die than betray their friend.

Even if he hadn't had the same courtesy.

"_This is the only path for me…"_

Fujin sighed, turning her back on the control room's door. Her hands clenched into tight fists and her eye narrowed as she finally made her choice. To her, her destiny was already sealed.

The edge returned to her voice now that she was decided to follow through, "ME TOO."

ooo ooo

The roar of the Ragnarok's engine as it came back to life brought a smile to Selphie's lips. Despite the time it had been drifting in space, she couldn't complain of the airship's functioning. It was as good as new.

Her emerald eyes lit when Irvine's tall form slouched in the seat next to hers.

"So, like, you sure all I have to do is push the button?"

The brunette's smile widened at his unsure tone, "Of course, Irvy! The cannon beam practically aims on its own," she turned her head and flashed him a playful smirk, "Besides, I was told you're the most talented sharpshooter of Galbadia Garden… or did I get that wrong?"

He winked back at her, "And you haven't seen anything, little darling."

Selphie laughed, gaining a wide smile from the cowboy. The carefree sound of her amusement entranced him and, for a moment, Irvine forgot where he was; forgot everything about the upcoming battle and the ominous fate awaiting them.

All he could see in that instant was the beautiful brunette seated beside him and the way she seemed to light up the world with her mere presence.

In an impulse, his hand closed around hers and the tall cowboy leaned down to finally close the seemingly infinite distance between them. His lips caressed her forehead and gently trailed down over a closed eye and a heated cheek to end their journey on her lips.

Selphie's cheeks burned even more at the smooth contact and the butterflies that seemed to have nested in her stomach since she'd first met the matured cowboy fluttered madly at Irvine's overly gentle touch.

With a hand still holding hers, Irvine settled another at the back of her neck in order to play with the silk-soft hair of the brunette.

His touch sent a shiver down her spine and her heart into overdrive. Her mind reeled with a thousand words she wanted to tell, but didn't dare for fear of seeming too silly or corny. So she decided to do her best to express her feelings in their kiss. And although, she wasn't as experienced as he seemed, Selphie hoped it was enough.

Irvine's soul took flight as she returned the kiss, shyly at first and with growing determination as seconds melted away into eternity. Happily oblivious to the world around him and completely entranced by her sweetness, the cowboy prayed to whatever entity was willing to listen to his plea to stop time and never allow this moment to slip away from him.

Lost within his taste, Selphie couldn't help but think that her first kiss was as perfect as she'd ever dreamt it would be.

"Get a room, guys."

Startled, the brunette broke the sweet kiss, focusing her attention in anything but the teens entering the cockpit. Her already flushed face turned a brighter shade of red as she realized she'd been so _focused_ that she hadn't heard the small elevator… and for the look of it, neither had Irvine.

The cowboy pulled away from her and frowned in Zell's direction, "You have a knack for being inopportune, Dincht."

"Suck it up, Kinneas," replied the martial artist grinning as he took his place at one of the supportive cannons on the Ragnarok, "You can inspect Selphie's tonsils as much as you want after the mission."

Thelma smacked the back of the blond's head, gaining a loud complaint for the rough treatment. She then settled her hands at her hips in a scolding fashion, "You deserve it for being rude."

Irvine smirked, "Seems we now know who carries the pants in your relationship."

It was Zell's turn to frown. However, before the typical bickering between the two could start, Squall stepped into the cockpit and silenced both SeeDs with a single glare, "Save that for later."

His eyes settled on the still blushing pilot, "The Estharian fleet is already in place. Let's take our position."

"Aye, aye, sir!" chirped Selphie, regaining her usual mood at the prospect of flying the draconian ship into battle.

Squall turned to look at the other SeeDs in the reduced space. Ana and Noah, along with Thelma had joined their group and now stood waiting for his instructions. Blue-grey eyes narrowed as he wondered for the millionth time what he'd done to deserve their trust. Especially as a leader, a position he'd never wanted, but everyone seemed to be certain he deserved.

The Commander discarded his thoughts as Xu's voice echoed in the cockpit, _"Trabia and Balamb Gardens are in position, Squall."_

He nodded in acknowledgement, even though his counterpart couldn't see him. It was a habit of his, "Understood. Keep your distance until the signal."

"_Roger that. Over and out."_

ooo ooo

Seifer's eyes left the monitor as the heavy metallic doors opened with a _woosh_. The Sorceress frame glided gracefully inside the chamber, ignoring the numerous gazes that had settled on her.

"Is everything ready?"

The Knight bowed deeply, "All the stations are on battle alert, my Sorceress. The

Pandora's shields are at its max and we have several cybernetic units to destroy the draconian ship once it penetrates our defenses."

Ultimecia nodded and smiled pleased, "Our only concern now shall be the ritual, then." The raven-haired turned around and, after issuing the mental command to the blond to follow her, both stepped out of the Pandora's bridge.

"You are wearing white," commented Seifer glancing at the simple, pristine robes that covered Rosie's body.

The Sorceress smirked, golden eyes glinting with sick amusement as they moved through the main corridor, "It is only fitting, my Knight." As both reached the elevated chamber where Adel's still half-frozen form rested, her voice was heard once more, "White is the color of the sacrificial lamb."

The words had barely left her lips when a loud rumble was heard. Seifer's eyes narrowed briefly as he listened at the noises before a wide smirk lit his features, "Well, seems Puberty Boy has finally arrived."

Excitement and anticipation at the upcoming battle coursed through his entire body and the Knight's hand automatically closed around Hyperion's hilt. He couldn't wait to cross gunblades with Squall again in what would be their final battle!

"Seifer…"

The low call of his name made the blond's eyes focus on the shorter form beside him. Lowering to one knee, the Knight waited for the orders to come.

Ultimecia's cold voice didn't rise above a whisper, "Protect this room with your life if necessary," her white-clad form turned around with inhuman grace and the heavy doors opened without her even getting near them, "Nothing shall enter this place until I am finished. Have I made myself clear?"

Seifer's head bowed, "Crystal."

The doors closed loudly, swallowing the lithe form behind them. The Knight stood and drew Hyperion. Light danced along the gunblade's dark metal as Seifer turned around and faced the long corridor.

The first sounds of battle reached his ears and he smirked.

"C'mon, Squall. I'm waiting for you."

ooo ooo

"SeeD forces incoming!"

The blaring of the alarm echoed through the Pandora's gigantic frame, making the galbadians tense and prepare themselves for the upcoming conflict.

"Commander!" called a soldier saluting the shorter woman, "We are getting different readings than the ones expected."

Fujin took the extended chart, her crimson eye narrowing as she scrolled down the info, "NOT THEM."

"Uh? What ya mean, Fu?" asked her bronze-skinned friend leaning closer to her.

"ESTHAR," replied the woman sharply giving back the chart to the soldier. Nodding in the Pandora's core direction, she instructed, "SEIFER."

"Yes, ma'am!" said the soldier saluting again before turning around and dashing down the corridor in order to find the Knight.

"I don't understand what's wrong, ya know?"

Fujin shook her head a little exasperated at Raijin's oblivious nature. Turning to face the taller teen, she simply said, "ESTHAR. SEED. TOGETHER."

His eyes widened, "Whoa! You mean, Esthar is attacking us too?!" at her sharp nod, he panicked, "But, it was supposed to be only Squall's ship, ya know?!"

"CHANGE," growled Fujin, drawing her pinwheel. The light of the corridor reflected on the beautiful and equally deadly weapon, sending a silver shine over the albino's face. Her frown deepened, "ADAPT."

Raijin nodded and produced his large bo, "I'm with ya, Fu, ya know?"

The girl smiled, "KNOW."

ooo ooo

"_The shield is intact."_

Squall's eyes narrowed. He didn't need the estharian captain's statement to realize the energy field around the Pandora hadn't even flickered at the attack. Although Laguna's air-bound fleet was large, the small cannons that these were equipped with had proved to be useless against the shield.

"Guess it's our turn," said Quistis from her position beside the Commander.

He nodded and turned on the com, "All estharian units, take back up positions."

"_Roger that. Wolf unit engaged for battle."_

Stormy eyes settled on the pilot, "Selphie, take us in."

"Aye, aye, sir!" chirped the brunette, pulling the controls to raise the Ragnarok over the other airships.

ooo ooo

"There it is!" exclaimed a galbadian officer pointing at the crimson, dragon-like shape gliding around the Pandora, apparently searching for a weak spot.

The troopers stood mesmerized by the ship's apparition. Not only was it more beautiful than whatever their wildest dreams could come up with, but also the airship had proved many of them wrong.

But how were they supposed to believe the Sorceress' words about the upcoming battle? How could she predict what was about to happen now when she couldn't before? Was it because the woman now leading them was other than Edea?

That was another thing bothering the galbadians.

What had happened to their former ruler?

Although Seifer had assured them the girl with the golden eyes was a mere vessel for the true Sorceress, the galbadians were still unsure about the whole deal. Still, none of them dared to protest.

They liked breathing.

"All units, ready to fire!" ordered the officer, watching the Ragnarok take an attack position. The sound of tenths of cannons aiming at the crimson ship reverberated inside the wide chamber, making the galbadian smirk.

"C'mon, little SeeDs… give us your best shot."

ooo ooo

Ultimecia's eyes narrowed in concentration.

She could feel the magical aura of the woman in front of her, but it was so faint, she highly doubted Adel could aid her during the process. Seemed she'd have to make the entire transfer by herself.

Sighing in annoyance, the Sorceress extended her arms and then, one after the other was crossed over her chest in an X form. The magic coursing through her veins stirred, filling her whole being with its infinite energy.

Ellone's eyes widened as she watched the spectacle, unable to tear her gaze away. The raven-haired's frame was enveloped in a white light, making her body shine and emanate a bright pulse all around her. Her head threw backwards at the very moment the light intensified and a couple of large, pristine wings spread from her back, filling the entire room with glinting feathers.

The captive girl trembled. Despite the resemblance the young Sorceress had with an angel – further emphasized by her equally white robes – the power emanating from her was terrible.

A low hum caught Ellone's attention and her eyes widened again as she realized the other girl was chanting some spell. Shiny, silver lines slowly extended from the raven-haired's feet and spread across the room like glistening roots. Ellone flinched as they crawled near her and continued their journey over the wall without touching her.

Strange carvings started to form all over the place before a wide circle drew itself around Rosie's form. Her eyes turned completely gold, the dark, cat-like irises now lost into the lighter shade.

The shine around the Sorceress increased as her arms slowly extended from their folded position over her chest and pointed towards Adel. Waves of white energy left the raven-haired's body, traveling towards the frozen woman.

Crimson eyes opened slowly as the first wave of power reached her body and Adel smirked.

ooo ooo

"Fire!"

Irvine complied and the whole Ragnarok shuddered as the cannon released its power. The roar of the blast was deafening as it collided with the Pandora's shield, making the draconian ship shudder again, though this time was due to the backwash of power.

"It doesn't break the shield!" exclaimed the cowboy frowning and keeping his fingers over the trigger.

Thinking quickly, Selphie activated the ship's 'arms', raising the clawed paws before letting them ram into the energy field.

ooo ooo

"Now is our chance!" yelled the galbadian officer watching the Ragnarok clawing through the shield's thick veil, "Return fire!"

Tenths of beams left the Pandora's interior, travelling towards their enemy's ship.

ooo ooo

"What the?!" exclaimed Selphie, blinded by the galbadians' counterattack.

The Ragnarok shuddered as the energy beams reached it, tearing apart one of its massive claws before the pilot managed to pull the ship out of danger's way.

Squall's frown deepened, "What's the damage?"

Selphie pouted, "They destroyed one of the claws! Awww, no! My poor ship!" her emerald eyes narrowed in an impressive glare, "They're definitely going to pay for this!"

"They knew we would try to break the shield that way," muttered Quistis, folding her arms and looking at their leader.

The Commander's expression darkened, "Ultimecia's using Rosie's knowledge."

"Guess we have one more complication," said Zell grinning.

Squall pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to soothe the headache that was slowly forming. He knew the witch could do something like this… but, just how much more had she been able to anticipate thanks to Rosie's knowledge?

Back during the strategy meetings, the raven-haired had admitted she didn't know details of the battle against Galbadia Garden, just held a general scheme of the situation. Was it the same for this conflict?

Was the galbadians' defense planned on more assumptions than concrete facts?

Whatever the case, Squall knew not to underestimate the enemy's forces. Seifer was a very good strategist and surely he'd more than a few surprises planned, knowledge or not.

Well, two could play the same game.

"Wolf team, prepare your cannons," ordered Squall, switching on the com. His eyes settled on their pilot next, "Selphie, fly around the Pandora again."

A wicked smile formed on the girl's lips, "Whatever you say."

ooo ooo

"Here they come again," said the galbadian officer with a confident smirk, "Seems these kids haven't had enough. Prepare the cannons!"

"Yes, sir!" replied the soldiers aiming at the gliding Ragnarok once more. The draconian airship came straight forward toward the Pandora and another blast from its large cannon made the shield shudder.

Like a spear, the remaining claw pierced through the energy field, making the captain's smirk widen. However, before he could order his troops to greet the incoming ship properly, an unearthly screech echoed in the room, freezing the galbadians in place.

A bright light blinded all the presents as the booming roar of a departing thunder announced the Guardian's presence. Fast as the element he commanded, Quetzalcoatl dashed along the galbadian ranks, destroying the cannons on his path, giving the SeeD reinforcements the perfect chance to strike.

Bullets rained over the defending party inside the Pandora as the estharian forces took their positions beside the draconian ship. The Ragnarok's engine propelled it half-way inside the shield before the cannon was fired again. The yellow beam collided against the monolith's metallic surface, melting it away like butter.

"Woo-hoo! We're in!" exclaimed Selphie, looking through the huge hole the beam cannon had made in the protective steel case.

Squall turned to look at his comrades as the Ragnarok descended, "Let's finish this."

ooo ooo

"They did it!" exclaimed Xu, clapping excitedly as she watched the crimson ship pierce through the Pandora's frame, the energy field around it flickering several times before finally vanishing.

A victorious screech reached their ears at the very moment a powerful lightning left the monolith's frame and vanished between the crimson clouds.

"That's our signal," said Nida maneuvering the Garden with practiced ease.

Xu nodded and reached for the com, "Attention all SeeDs, we're moving into battle. I repeat, we're moving into battle. Assemble at your designated positions."

Her voice was replaced by the three characteristic chimes that announced the end of the transmission. The dark-haired woman turned to the right, glancing at Trabia Garden's majestic form as it glided towards their intended target.

"Gotta go," said Xu smiling at the pilot, "Keep our course."

Nida nodded sharply and watched the graceful SeeD leave. Hesitating, the young man finally growled in frustration and called her out before she reached the small lift. Xu turned to look at him, confusion evident in her face.

Nida frowned, "Take care, ok?" when she dismissed his concern with a smile, he shook his head and vehemently said, "I mean it. Just… just don't die on me, okay?" almond eyes gazed intently at her face, making the girl blush slightly when she realized the true meaning behind his words.

Xu nodded slowly, her eyes softening as she looked back at Nida, "Don't worry, I won't."

He swallowed hard, feeling his throat dry as she turned around and climbed on the elevator. Suddenly, the dark-haired woman whirled around and flashed him a wide smile.

"I like popcorn and movies," she said, pressing the 'down' button. She shrugged a little and grinned at his bewildered expression, "Just so you know."

The lift carried her out of his sight and, after a couple of seconds, Nida was able to break his reverie. Replaying for his mind's eye her last words and beautiful smile, he couldn't help the way his lips curled upwards.

"Well, guess now I know," muttered the young SeeD, tearing his eyes from her last standing place to settle them over the upcoming monolith.

ooo ooo

"Sir Almasy!" exclaimed the trooper as soon as he detected the tall blond standing at the far end of the large corridor.

The Knight straightened from his leaning position against the wall and frowned at the incoming soldier, "What is it?"

The uniformed man took a moment to catch his breath and, after saluting the young General, informed, "Sir! Commander Fujin has sent me to report you that Esthar's troops have allied with the SeeDs. They're supporting them in battle, sir."

Seifer's frown deepened.

This event was certainly unexpected. None of the information Kid had given Ultimecia regarded Esthar's position in this battle.

"Seems Puberty Boy has made new friends…" muttered the blond before looking through the soldier into the large corridor he'd come running from.

He knew the alliance between Esthar and SeeD would bring them serious problems, especially when they'd only prepared to receive the latter. However, the Knight couldn't bring himself to leave his guarding post.

The Sorceress' magic was clearly felt through the heavy doors and Seifer knew that the transfer process had already started, which meant she would be far too vulnerable at this point. Certainly, not a position she wanted the SeeDs to find her in.

A low, irritated growl left the blond's throat.

His instincts pulled him to the battle's front line, to wherever Squall was so they could finish their pending issue once and for all. However, Ultimecia's leash kept him glued to the ground.

It was so _fucking_ frustrating!

Seifer's gloved hand slammed against the crystal wall with enough force to make a small dent in the shinning surface and the shimmering colors to increase their pace. The trooper cringed slightly at the angered blond's reaction, especially since it was the first time he'd seen the man lose his cool.

"Activate the Pandora's defense system," ordered the Knight dryly. He knew Fujin and Raijin had the left wing of the core covered, however, the right side was wide open, "Get all we've got to the main corridor and the nearing areas."

Even if the SeeDs managed to pass through the galbadian ranks, their numbers would be thinner and surely the innate defense system of the Pandora would be able to dispose of them as it had done with Chicken-wuss' team before.

Seifer's confidence returned.

Yeah, with small numbers, the SeeDs wouldn't be able to defeat the Mobile Type 8. Not with the special abilities it had been gifted with.

"Well, what are you waiting for?!" snapped the Knight, startling the trooper out of his stunned state.

"Y-yes, sir!" replied the soldier, clumsily saluting his superior before turning around and bolting out of sight.

Seifer watched as the other man disappeared behind a corner and smirked, reassuming his earlier position against the wall.

Even if the SeeDs were victorious in the end, he was sure the galbadians would be able to delay them enough so his Sorceress was able to finish the energy transfer from Kid to Adel. The older witch's powers would finally be restored to serve Ultimecia's will.

And with Ellone already held inside the confined chamber, it would only be a matter of time before Time Compression started.

The blond's smirk widened.

Seemed Lady Luck hadn't turned on them yet.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

_Author's note:_

_Finally finished this chapter. Okay, this took WAY longer than I had expected, but at least, it's finally done._

_I know, I know, I always promise to write faster, but I just can't seem to find the time. So, there won't be a promise this time. I'll do whatever I can, but there are no guarantees. Again, my deepest apologies for this._

_I want to thank all of you who keep reading this huge story and have the eternal patience to wait until the next chapter is over. As I've said before, this story is for all of you. _

_I still hadn't had the time to reply to your marvelous reviews, but I'll do it right away! Dagger and Aika, thanks SO much for your encouraging words. I'm very glad you're liking every chapter and I promise to do my best so the next chapters are equally enjoyable._

_Thanks to all of you from the bottom of my heart._

_Lots of love,_

_Celestial Rage_


	71. Chapter 71 Sons of War

_Disclaimer: I've said it before and I say it again: I don't own FFVIII... yet._

**Unexpected Destiny  
**

**Chapter 71: Sons of War**

_We are going to have peace even if we have to fight for it._

- Dwight D. Eisenhower -

By Celestial Rage

Thunder roared, cascading silver light over the figures of the SeeD bases gliding graciously through the storm towards Pandora's ominous figure. Inside both facilities, SeeDs, senior cadets and a good number of estharian troops waited for the collision they knew would come.

The Ragnarok's powerful central cannon had finally breached the shield surrounding the huge monolith, giving the SeeDs and their allies the chance they needed to board their enemy's base. Missiles and bullets sizzled and burst into deadly explosions all around the battlefield as the galbadians tried to repel the attack to no avail. SeeD forces leaked like water inside their facility, spreading through their ranks and decimating their numbers under the protection of the several combat airships Laguna had sent to assist the Ragnarok's dangerous endeavor.

ooo ooo

_ -"We've lost Fox 3," - _growled a man, his voice partially muffled by the roar of a nearby explosion. The sound, powerful, clear and terrible, boomed through the wide expanse of the room where the President of Esthar stood, scanning the horizon with eyes full of dread. His body felt stiff and he struggled to keep the beginning of a nervous cramp at bay.

Dark green eyes narrowed, silently wishing he could see the battlefield that stood far out of the reach of his vantage point. Laguna's jaw clenched at the continued hisses of missiles, the booming that followed and the agonizing cries of men and women alike, all of which filtered through the several devices recently installed in his office. The index of his right hand twitched involuntarily, hungering for a trigger to pull and he could almost feel the weight of his old, trusty weapon in his arms. For a second, he imagined himself at the front of the Estharian troops, heavy rifle and grenades prepared for battle as he joined the Commander of SeeD. He would watch the young man's back as they both moved through the Pandora's halls, destroying every obstacle that stood between them and bringing Ellone home safely.

- "I know you wanna be out there," - Kiros' voice almost made the other man jump out of his skin. Laguna turned to look at the seated Minister, who was sporting a gentle, sympathetic smile, - "Fighter instincts never die."

The President frowned, - "It's not that… or just that."

He watched Kiros nod in silent understanding and returned his eyes to the horizon. The sheer number of the galbadian troops was formidable and, although he knew SeeD and his own army were nowhere near helpless, experience had taught him nothing was written in stone on the battlefield.

- "Do you think –?"

- "Don't even dare, Laguna," - snapped the Minister shaking his head. His friend's train of thought was quite obvious and it certainly didn't help matters any, - "Everything's gonna be alright. He's a SeeD and for what I've seen, a very skilled one."

- "Yeah, but…"

- "If you say something bad, it might come true, remember?"

Laguna frowned at his reflection on the glass, thinking on how many scenarios that statement had proven to be true, - "Yeah, I do."

- "Then let's drop the issue and pray for their success."

ooo ooo

The wide chamber filled with smoke and dust as the solid wall exploded and heavy debris fell over several, unsuspecting galbadians. The Ragnarok's 'jaws' opened and the SeeDs on board entered the Pandora under the cover of Diablos' shadows.

The Guardian's shrill shriek made walls and galbadian legs alike tremble. Raising a clawed hand, he summoned the darkness at his service before releasing the gravity spell on the remaining cannons and cyborgs scattered along the chamber, efficiently incapacitating the greatest danger for the reduced SeeD group.

With another unearthly screech, Diablos' form dissolved in a rain of bats.

Quistis whip coiled like a snake around a trooper's weapon, wrenching it out of his grasp before her eyes turned crimson and a powerful blaze left her lips, burning the soldier to a crisp. A bullet hissed past her and her gaze shifted to Irvine, taking in his dark expression as he reloaded Valiant. Summoning her protective magic to envelope them both, she was rewarded with a tip of a hat before they returned their full attention to the battle.

Selphie and Ana fought back to back. While the smaller brunette used her magic reserves to keep their enemies at bay, the Headmistress' blades cut in half whoever dared to step too close to them.

Noah's trident swirled around, covering Zell as the martial artist finished off a soldier before focusing his attention on a heavy armored trooper. The man lifted the massive gatling gun he was carrying, forcing both SeeDs to roll to their sides to avoid the rain of bullets. The martial artist ducked behind a nearby pillar, watching Noah move as swiftly as lightning around the soldier. The attack settled on the White SeeD captain, giving Zell the only chance he needed to strike. He ran behind the soldier, summoning magic as he went, feeling the electric current run down his arms and settle on his fists. Thunder roared as he repeatedly stroke the galbadian's back, making the soldier's body convulse uncontrollably as he collapsed to the floor.

Noah nodded his appreciation and Zell grinned, offering him a 'bro fist'. The Captain lifted an eyebrow, looking down at the sparks still surrounding the martial artist's hands. Zell grinned sheepishly, muttering a 'oops' before shaking his hands to dismiss the current.

Squall's gunblade flashed in the dim light before piercing a galbadian's chest. Blood splashed everywhere as Revolver was pulled out from the now limp body to deflect a Fire spell. His own magic was released and the offender hacked, dropping his weapon in order to clutch his throat with both hands. His skin turned a sickening shade of gray, his veins bloating visibly, engorged with the poison now running through his system.

Pressing a couple of fingers on the small earpiece he wore, the brunet scanned his surroundings, - "Xu, move in now."

_ - "Wilco."_

Stormy eyes narrowed further as Revolver parried another blade before the brunet turned around and sliced through the galbadian's torso. Another soldier approached the Commander, but even before Squall could move, a wide flame tongue enveloped the trooper, burning the man down to the bones.

- "Fifteen!" - exclaimed Thelma with a grin. She saluted the Commander quickly before running past him, making her way towards a certain blond. Squall shook his head as Zell's very loud 'Pff! I'm on twenty already!' remark reached him across the room.

Suddenly, the entire Pandora's frame trembled while a deafening rumble made almost everyone inside the monolith cringe. The humming of the golden rings propelling both Gardens was no longer muffled by the battle inside and now reverberated all along the wide room.

A new wave crashed inside the chamber, though this time, the SeeDs were relieved.

Their reinforcements had just arrived.

ooo ooo

Ellone cringed as the walls shuddered.

The impact, for what she could tell, was not a result of whatever the Sorceress in front of her was doing. It seemed as though something really big had just collided against the Pandora… Could it be that Laguna and Squall had come to her rescue? Were they finally here to stop the witch's plans?

Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of his dear uncle in the midst of battle. Although she'd seen him kill monsters back at Winhill and knew of the man's ability, Ellone couldn't help but be reminded of the amount of time that had passed since then. Laguna was older now, though equally reckless, and that worried her. Especially, since she'd seen first-hand the extent of the galbadian army.

A low hiss interrupted her thoughts, making the dark haired girl look at the figure standing a couple of meters away from her. The Sorceress' wings were still extended as far as they could go, while wave after wave of energy left her body and traveled towards Adel's imprisoned form.

A frown was shown on the girl's face, though Ellone was not sure whether it was due to the knowledge of the SeeDs' arrival or out of concentration.

ooo ooo

The entire Garden shuddered as Nida rammed Pandora's metallic frame once more. The windows lining Cid's office exploded due to the impact, forcing its occupants to seek shelter behind the room's furniture. Rinoa pulled the older man down with her under the mahogany desk, cringing a little as the debris fell loudly around them, managing to injure the Headmaster's hand.

Cid bit down a curse, which made the raven-haired chuckle. She had never imagined he was the kind to growl obscenities when injured, a habit she related more to Seifer.

_ - Guess now I know where he got it from,_ – she thought smiling faintly as her healing magic sealed the split flesh.

ooo ooo

-"Activating combat mode," - said a soldier in the control room while tapping the directives into the security system. Seifer's orders to initiate the Pandora's innate security mechanism had just arrived to the bridge, making the soldiers wonder what could be keeping the Knight from taking his usual commanding position at the front of the army. Regardless, the troopers knew better than to disobey the blond's orders.

The last algorithmic sequence was typed into the system and the tech was rewarded by the blinking message confirming the activation of their current base's defenses.

In the deepest bowels of the Pandora, a gigantic robot moved, the sound of metal scrapping against metal echoing in the chamber where the weapon was currently stored. The red orb in the machine's 'forehead' flickered and lit, emitting a crimson hue that pierced the darkness surrounding it. The floating devices turned on with a quiet hum, sending the robot into a straightened position. Data was loaded into its system at neck-breaking speed and the orb's hue increased as the directives attached to its hard drive.

With a final shudder as the info finished downloading, Mobile Type 8 stirred back to life.

ooo ooo

- "Over here!" - yelled Zell, motioning his friends to the stairway leading to the elevators. The three shafts rose above ground as far as the eye could see. Crimson crystal surrounded the distant top of the chamber, bathing the entire room with an eerie glow. The SeeDs were astonished by the sheer beauty of the construction, despite its original purpose. Only Esthar's engineers could create weapons that were as beautiful as they were deadly.

- "The Pandora's core is over there," - said the blond nodding towards the rightmost lift.

Quistis looked at the opposite one, - "Okay, we'll take number 1."

Squall nodded, - "Be careful."

Irvine adjusted his hat and smirked, trying to ease the situation at hand, - "Hey, no prob! You just focus on your part of the mission. We'll handle ours, right ladies?" - Thelma, Quistis and Selphie nodded, readying their respective weapons with a confident smile.

Zell approached the girl with glasses. Scratching the back of his head in a nervous fashion, he blurted -"I'm not good at this, but... well, uhm..." - his face turned a deep shade of crimson as he lowered his voice to a whisper, - "Just try to return in one piece, okay?"

Thelma blushed and nodded, before patting her flamethrower, - "Don't worry. My baby will take care of them all."

The martial artist smiled in return before the sound of the lifts' doors opening shifted his attention. Both of their teams were already waiting for them and his face became as red as a tomato when he registered the girls' knowing smiles... but definitely, Irvine's wink was the worst.

Zell groaned in embarrassment and dragged his feet to the elevator, thanking Hyne he was in Squall's team for the time being. Neither the Trabian Headmistress nor the White SeeD captain seemed to share Irvine's mocking tendencies and he was absolutely positive Squall wouldn't say a word about the issue, saving him momentarily from his predicament.

He knew Irvine and Selphie wouldn't let him hear the end of this.

ooo ooo

Ward's mouth felt dry and he had to force himself not to throttle the confident-looking son of a bitch.

Hardin's smirk grew wider as he dared another step closer to the restrained man. Out the corner of his eyes, he could see the Minister's staff being forced to submit or die and so far, not a single one had chosen the latter. His gaze wandered around the now quieter War Room, the only sounds were those of the battle transmitted live to the several monitors and devices of the chamber.

His attention returned to Ward's enraged face and the Counselor had to repress a gleeful chuckle. Instead, he turned to look at the captain of his small but powerful and, most importantly, entirely loyal squad, - "Please, take the Minister to the cells in sector 5."

- "And on what charge are you doing this atrocity?"- demanded Ward, struggling until the cold, hard press of a rifle's barrel against the back of his head reminded him it wouldn't be wise to lose his temper at the moment.

- "Charges, you ask?" - exclaimed Hardin disdainfully, - "How about treason, Minister?"

- "The only traitor I see here is you."

- "Is that so?" - the Counselor folded his arms over his chest and smirked, - "Then please enlighten me as to how releasing Adel is not treason to the fair and free people of this country?"

Ward's eyes narrowed further, - "You know it was all Galbadia's doing."

- "What I know is that the President _allowed_ a Sorceress inside the Lunar Station and that she was the one to free Adel from her Tomb. Furthermore, she destroyed General Mitchell and his troops when they tried to stop her and now she has allied with the invaders! For all I know, or care, she is the one leading Galbadia's hand; spreading chaos and death in our country!" - Hardin tilted his head to the side and sent a malicious grin in Ward's direction, - "None of it would have happened if Laguna hadn't let those SeeDs inside Esthar," - his smile grew darker, - "But I guess it's hard to say _no_ to relatives, uh?"

Ward's eyes widened in surprise, eliciting a chuckle from the Counselor, - "You really thought I wouldn't notice that young man's last name? C'mon, my friend! You should give me more credit," - he then motioned to the guards to force the bulky Minister back on his feet, while he turned around and started his way to the door, - "Now, let's go see the President."

ooo ooo

Footsteps boomed through the walls as the SeeDs ran down one of the round, narrow corridors of the Pandora. Thelma had been mesmerized by the sheer beauty of the glimmering crystal walls when she first caught glance of them as the lift's doors opened, but as soon as their first obstacle appeared, the brunette found the scorched look on the walls more to her liking.

- "According to Ward's info, we're close to the position," - Irvine said as they turned a corner. They came to an abrupt halt as a huge, metallic form cut their path.

- "I'd say that we're already there," - chirped Selphie before the teens spread in order to avoid several shimmering laser beams. Quistis and Thelma snuck behind a crystal wall, while Irvine pulled Selphie against a nearby metallic structure and shielded her with his body.

The cowboy untangled himself from the brunette and turned his attention to their attacker. Mobile Type 8 floated in the middle of the slightly wider hall, whose crystal walls reflected the menacing form reminding Irvine of a house of mirrors. Readying Valiant with a _snap_, he muttered something that Selphie thought was a 'Let's dance.'

Quistis stiffened, noticing out the corner of her eyes Thelma's hand extending, followed by a thunderous roar and a bolt of light. Selphie followed the other girl's example while Irvine raised Valiant and aimed at the robot's body.

The magic thunders dissolved before even touching the machine, while the cowboy's destructive ammo was deflected by the same energy field that had prevented the SeeDs from doing any real damage to the estharian weapon before.

Just like in their first encounter, Mobile Type 8 scanned its enemies, calculating the amount of psychic energy necessary to lift them off their feet and throw them out of the nearest exit. The red orb on its 'forehead' lit and the humans started to float. However, before the machine was able to send the fragile bodies away from the spot it kept, a low hiss was heard, followed by movement out the corner of the machine's range of vision.

The weapon's sensors detected a large, serpentine form that soon evaporated, making the two small pods on each side of the machine's core untangle and spread through the room to locate and dispose of the newest threat.

This was the chance the SeeDs were waiting for.

A gunshot, followed by three thunderous roars and lightning made Mobile Type 8's attention refocus on the humans, but whatever it was about to do was cut short by the abrupt malfunction of its psychic energy device.

Irvine's piercing round, enveloped in the girls' magical enhancements had destroyed the red orb on the machine's forehead, the point where Odine had informed them the dangerous energy was contained. Unfortunately for the SeeDs, this particular weapon was practically invulnerable as long as the pods kept warding the core.

The SeeDs floated for a couple of seconds more as the machine suffered a momentary breakdown before the psychic grip gave in and they landed with differed amounts of grace.

Immediately after, Thelma's ice magic was summoned just the very moment Leviathan's tail wrapped around a pod, becoming liquid and then a frozen cage for the small machine.

Without losing a second Mobile Type 8's center vibrated and the pods returned to its body, the ice surrounding the left one, immediately shattering in a pristine rain. The pods shimmered for a second before another round of lasers fell over the SeeDs. Selphie's arms shot upwards, bringing with them the magical earth wall to protect themselves from the robot's attack.

ooo ooo

The battle sounds approached their position quickly.

Her crimson eye scanned the hallway they'd been assigned to guard and Fujin couldn't help her frown. For what she could hear, the SeeDs were bare minutes away from them and it was most likely that Squall was leading the attack.

- "This is it…" - she muttered, gaining Raijin's attention.

He knew she only favored her 'normal' voice when there was something important she wanted to say or a point she wanted to get through. Like she had tried to do with Seifer, though he had refused to listen to any reasoning that antagonized what he considered his duties as a Knight… whatever that was. Raijin couldn't grasp this whole 'Knight' bullshit and kept wondering why his friend was blindly following the Sorceress.

It was just so unlike Seifer!

But what definitely ranked higher in his list of confusing notions was the fact Seifer now addressed the chick he'd seen with Squall numerous times as 'Ultimecia' and 'His Sorceress'. Raijin didn't remember what the girl's name was, but he was sure it was nowhere near Ultimecia, otherwise it would have ringed a bell when they met that mature woman they'd been protecting since the parade in Deling City. Wasn't that supposed to be Ultimecia?

Raijin's head hurt. Everything seemed so complicated right now!

Fujin seemed to get the whole deal, but he'd been afraid to ask her in case she wanted to punish his ignorance with one of her famed kicks to his shins. That was a painful experience he didn't want to repeat any time soon.

The white-haired girl in front of him moved to place herself a few feet in front of him as a nearby wall exploded and gave way to the small SeeD squad that emerged from the smoke and debris.

As expected, Seifer's rival was heading the attack.

Raijin's eyes settled on Fujin and he could almost feel her resolve as her body tensed, readying for battle. He was tired, confused and wanted nothing more than return to Garden, to the old, simple days when the three of them were the Disciplinary Committee. But Fujin and Seifer had made a choice and, although he might not understand the motives, he would stay at their side whatever the outcome might be.

- "We've been waiting for ya, ya know?" - said Raijin as he untangled himself nonchalantly from the wall he'd been resting on.

The SeeDs came slowly to a halt with Squall at the front of the small group. His hand reached down to the hilt of Revolver, cold unforgiving eyes seizing his opponents, - "Let us through."

Raijin's goofy laughter boomed through the hallway, followed by the albino's predictable answer, - "RAGE," - Fujin smirked and raised her weapon, - "FIGHT FIRST".

- "My pleasure," - exclaimed Zell striking a fighting pose beside the Commander, - "I haven't forgotten what you did in Balamb and now it's payback time, baby!"

Raijin shrugged and swung his bo expertly, - "I'm ready to roll, ya know?" - his eyes settled on his friend's unreadable face. Fujin nodded, focusing her attention on the Commander, before her gaze wandered to the two unknown faces in the squad. Her eye narrowed as she detected the twin katanas sheathed at the woman's sides and the golden trident resting on the other man's back. She certainly didn't know who these people were, but hanging around Seifer, she was able to recognize skill and power in a fighter as soon as she laid eyes on them. And Squall's small squad was a regular army.

But she was ready.

Fujin moved first. Without warning, without more unnecessary words, her silver chakram flew across the room until Ana's blades cut off its path. Unforgiving metal collided against each other making sparks fly everywhere. The albino's weapon returned to its owner and her crimson eye narrowed as she examined the damage. Cracks marred the once sleek surface, an unfortunate announcement of the weapon's inability to fly steadily anymore. However, it was far from being useless. Forcefully, Fujin pulled the edges of the chakram, splitting her weapon in two, wielding each half as the deadly arc blades they had become.

Zell flew past Ana, his whole attention focused on the smirking Raijin. The brute's body casually stepped out of the powerful kick's way, before his bo rose to parry Noah's attack.

Fujin charged, striking Revolver with the twin blades she held. A wind spell tossed her off her feet while Ana placed herself in front of Squall. Exchanging a quick glance and a nod, he ran pass the duo. Raijin tried to cut off his path, but a quick attack from Zell prevented him from doing so.

- "I thought you were fighting me," - said the blond with a grin as he listened to Squall's quick footsteps growing farther.

Raijin was not intimidated, - "It's your funeral, ya know?" - his powerful body charged Zell, while his mind called upon magical aid to increase his agility.

Fujin parried a katana, quickly whirling around to slice the brunette's throat. Ana ducked, barely avoiding the chakram's sharp edge while sending a low kick to the albino girl's legs. With lightning-fast reflexes, Fujin did a backflip, connecting the Headmistress' jaw in the process.

Bo and trident collided with such a force, the impact resonated in both men's bodies. Zell had barely finished healing a nasty gash, when a rumbling noise caught his attention. A metallic roar was heard, followed by what soon the martial artist recognized as approaching footsteps. Baby blue eyes narrowed as one of Galbadia's dragon-like robots along with several soldiers appeared from the wall the SeeDs had destroyed to get to the hallway.

ooo ooo

- "And then, this huuuuuge dragon appeared out of nowhere and I was in BIG trouble! So I ran and ran…" - said Laguna running in place, gaining the awed expressions from the children currently occupying his office's floor, a welcomed distraction for both the President and his Prime Minister.

- "Is he always this energetic?" asked Edea to the man seated next to her on the couch.

- "Worse," - replied Kiros with a smile that then saddened, - "Though he hasn't told any stories like this for a long time," - brown eyes left the President, who was now firing an imaginary machine gun at his equally imaginary adversary, and settled on the former Sorceress' face, - "Not since Ellone was little."

Edea's gaze shifted from the Minister to Laguna as she recalled the first time she'd laid eyes on the dark-haired man. Heavy rain announced summer in the region was nigh. The stone house was warm, full of light, childish laughter and the sweet smell of recently baked pastries. Edea had been happy back then, even though the world was in chaos thanks to one of kin, she'd been surrounded by love.

A knock on the door and the stranger standing outside reminded her of the reason her house had been blessed with the innocence of children.

He was looking for his little girl.

Adel's reign of terror had left many parents without children and many children without parents. Laguna and Ellone were just two names in a long list that extended through years of cruel, senseless war.

Back then, she hadn't heard about Ellone and her heart broke when his face reflected the sadness and despair he felt. The dark-haired man had bid her farewell and continued his journey to find the lost child. Edea only knew he'd succeeded in finding her against all odds when Ellone told her the story. Ironic she'd ended up in the orphanage a few months after Laguna's hope had lead him there to no avail.

After learning of the child's extraordinary ability, Edea had vowed to do whatever it took to keep the precious girl safe. She often wondered if Ellone's life had been a happy one so far… she'd been torn apart from everyone she loved and everything she knew, her whereabouts were of the utmost secrecy, her friends were limited to those on board the White SeeD ship and her power was taboo. Present but unspoken, her ability to witness people's past had cursed her from the second she was born, ambition and cruelty had scarred her for life.

Yet, whenever Edea visited the mobile shelter turned orphanage, Ellone smiled and claimed she was happy.

- "She is a strong child," - said the former Sorceress watching the bright smiles of the kids around the President. When Kiros turned to look at her, Edea added, - "She has faced adversity and won thanks to those who hold her dear in their hearts. Now is no different."

ooo ooo

Ellone blinked twice to clear her vision, a frown forming on her face as what she'd just discarded as a figment of her imagination didn't vanish.

The Sorceress' wings had lost part of their glow and were no longer pristine. Instead, a grayish hue had covered most of the feathers, gradually diminishing the brightness enveloping the magical wings.

A harsh breath made Ellone's frown deepen. The Sorceress trembled visibly and the captive girl could see it was taking her a big effort to even keep standing, her knees nearly buckling a couple of times as she watched. The waves of energy leaving the white-clad body were no longer as big and bright as they'd been in the beginning and now travelled slower towards Adel, whose crimson eyes were now completely open, though she remained frozen in the same position.

Ellone's eyes widened in horror.

What was this girl trying to do?! Sacrifice herself so Adel could be freed from her prison?

_ - The question is _why_?_ – thought Ellone, silently glancing at the exhausted Sorceress. Her eyes narrowed in thought and then widened once more as she caught the flickering change of color in the raven-haired's eyes. Words she'd heard not so long ago made sudden sense and a chill ran down her spine as the unspeakable meaning was revealed.

_ "I've searched for you all over the world, my child. First as your beloved Matron and now in this form."_

The other girl's body was not the Sorceress' original one. No wonder she wouldn't mind killing her in order to recharge Adel's energy. But… who was this witch then? And what about the poor soul she had in her clutches?

What would happen to them both after the process was finished?

- "Squall…" - pleaded Ellone, shaking in her bonds, - "… please, hurry."

ooo ooo

Loud footsteps betrayed his presence in the deepest bowels of the gigantic monolith and, although Squall was partial to more stealthy approaches, the current circumstances gave him little choice. So far he'd encountered no resistance and assumed it was due to Fujin and Raijin's presence far down that section of the Pandora. They were magnificent fighters and he knew Seifer held absolute trust on his friends' abilities.

Thinking about the blond, Squall's mood darkened further, knowing their pending business would come to an end today. They had never gotten along, but at least Seifer had the skill to back up his arrogant tongue, something Squall reluctantly respected. However, that had quickly vanished once his rival had attacked innocent people, endangered his friend's lives and almost destroyed their home. The punch line had been when he had dared to offer Rosie as a sacrifice to the Sorceress.

Now he didn't know - and frankly, didn't care - whether or not Seifer was acting under Ultimecia's puppetry. If he stepped on his way, Squall was not holding back.

ooo ooo

Rounding a corner, his body tensed up in pure reflex as he felt, rather than saw, a figure out the corner of his eyes, - "Finally," - the deep baritone made stormy eyes narrow in pure hate.

_ And speaking of the devil..._

Turning to the right, Squall's body tensed further as he followed the movements of the taller man. Hyperion already unsheathed and resting on his shoulder, Seifer stepped out of the shadows provided by a large catwalk and stopped a couple of meters across the brunet.

- "You took your sweet time, Puberty Boy," - said the Knight smirking, - "For a second there, I thought you wouldn't make it," - the gesture grew wider as he stole a glance at Revolver, - "Glad I was wrong."

The Commander's frown deepened, - "Where is the Sorceress?"

- "'The Sorceress'?" - asked Seifer amused, tilting his head to the side, - "So she isn't 'Rosie' anymore?"

Squall clenched his jaw, gaining a low chuckle from the Knight. His hand moved to the tilt of his gunblade as Hyperion's deadly blade glinted under the sunlight filtering through the Pandora's ceiling. Seifer took a step closer to his rival, his smirk widening as he nonchalantly gestured to the ornate double doors behind him, - "_My_ Sorceress is currently busy," - a wicked grin spread through his features as the brunet's expression darkened further, - "That's why I insisted on being the welcoming party."

Wordlessly, Revolver was raised in front of its master.

A low chuckle filled the chamber, - "That's what I'm talking about, Squally-boy!" - readying his stance for the battle, Seifer's hand waved his rival forward, - "Let's dance one more time before Hell comes to earth."

He didn't have to ask twice.

Revolver thrust, rose and fell with such strength it caught the blond by surprise. His usual smirk showed as he felt the powerful adrenaline rush filling his veins. It had been a long time since they'd battled all out and it was refreshing.

Squall felt the impact of both swords reverberating through his whole being. Hyperion pushed his blade back, forcing the brunet to shift his grip, his feet planted firmly on the crystalline floor in order to resist Seifer's attack.

Squall's eyes narrowed as the blond's right shoulder lowered slightly, the Commander immediately reading his next move. However and despite having anticipated it, he was barely able to sidestep Seifer's powerful lunge, which was soon followed by a couple of thrusts that forced Squall into a defensive position.

The blond sent him a small smile, making a chill run down Squall's spine as the maddening darkness behind jade eyes was suddenly evident. He couldn't help but wonder whether this insanity was a result of Ultimecia's dominion over Seifer or just his true nature finally revealing itself.

Whatever the reason, Squall had to admit it was disturbing.

ooo ooo

Leviathan hissed again, coiling around Mobile Type 8's body and squeezing hard before his body melted into his liquid form, serving as a giant conductor for the SeeDs' thunder spells. The estharian robot convulsed uncontrollably and the pods exploded.

Mobile Type 8's head turned slightly and the lights on its face flickered as it considered its next attack now that his primary assault weapons had been disabled. The base of its pointed tail opened up and a very long energy whip slid out, dangling beneath it. The robot moved and the weapon surged into life, flicking in all directions as a separate limb. Sparks radiated from it with each movement, emitting a high-pitched buzzing sound.

- "Damn thing doesn't know when to go down!" - exclaimed Irvine, reloading Valiant as Selphie and Quistis pounded it with more magic.

The whip flicked at them. The girls managed to jump out of the way, but the cowboy, who was closest to it, was unable to get out of its reach in time. He dropped to the floor and barely missed the tip of the whip as it passed over his head.

A loud whistle, followed by a 'Over here!' caught the robot's attention and it turned towards the sound's source. Locking on the girl with glasses, its chest opened and a small, but sturdy cannon emerged. The cogs around it started to whirl noisily, gathering the energy it needed to wipe Thelma out with a single shot.

The brunette smirked and released the spell she'd been preparing. Loud, cracking noises filled the room as darkness enveloped Mobile Type 8's body, crushing the armor with the power of gravity. The robot jerked madly, trying to set itself free as the energy in its chest became too much to contain. Its hovering system suffered a short circuit and the machine hit the floor hard before a huge explosion sent it against the farthest wall.

With a quick motion of her arms, Thelma's spell tore the robot apart.

Debris and flames blew everywhere and the SeeDs had to summon strong shields to protect themselves. Quistis sighed in relief, - "That was wonderful. I'd give you an A."

Thelma adjusted her glasses and grinned with pride while Irvine took Selphie's hand and nodded at the other women, - "That was fun. How about we join Squall and the others on the main event?"

ooo ooo

Noah's trident spun, summoning an electric storm that rained down the last robot standing. Several galbadians laid scattered around the room, along with the charred remains of three other dragon-like machines. Having disposed of the last of the enemy's reinforcements, he returned his attention to the ongoing battle.

Zell parried the powerful blow and turned to his right, crouching low and sending a kick that sent Raijin back on his rear. The bulky man scrambled to his feet as Zell came in again, thrusting at the martial artist with the bo. The blond knocked it forcefully to the side with the outside of his forearm, the sound of breaking wood ringing in his ears a second before he planted a swift kick to Raijin's broad chest.

He felt the air being knocked out of his lungs and finally his legs gave in. Coughing, Raijin landed tiredly on his hands and knees; crimson droplets fell on his chest and the crystal floor just next to his broken weapon. Dark eyes closed in weariness and shame at his failure as cold, hard metal pressed against his neck.

- "Stop!"

Zell's eyes immediately shifted to the voice he had known for years, but had never heard without its trademark commanding inflection. Twin sounds of metal collapsing against the floor reverberated through the room as both parts of the chakram escaped Fujin's hands. Raising them in a sign of surrender, the girl turned to look at Noah, - "Please, I can't lose him too."

The golden trident was lifted from Raijin's flesh and she sighed in defeat. Although she was more than ready to sacrifice herself for Seifer, she couldn't bear to see Raijin suffer. He was loyal as one could be and it was precisely because of that trait that he was bleeding on the ground.

She had had enough.

- "You better hurry," - said Fujin looking at the SeeDs, - "Whatever she is planning will be over soon."

- "So you don't know what her plans are?" - asked Ana, surprised. She'd been under the impression these 2 were high ranking officials, but apparently the Sorceress was very secretive about her motives.

- "Seifer is the only one she ever speaks to."

Zell looked at the albino girl, finding terrible grief in the normally unreadable face, - "You do know that we might end up killing him, right?"

Fujin smiled sadly, - "I rather you killed _her_ instead," - she shook her head and walked slowly towards Raijin. Placing a hand on his back, she summoned a healing spell while debating whether to speak her worries to the SeeDs. They had been part of Garden once, had seen each other as comrades at one time and she desperately wanted to cling to the hope that if someone could help her other friend, it was these people. Finally making up her mind, she turned to look at Zell and began her long explanation.

- "I know I have no right to ask anything of you-"

- "Damn right!" - interrupted Zell, gaining a stern look from Ana. He huffed and kept his mouth shut, though deep inside he wanted nothing to do with whatever Fujin wanted to say. He had heard it once before when they were going to face Seifer and Edea in Galbadia Garden; the possibility of breaking whatever influence the Sorceress had over the young Knight. However, Zell was not sure he wanted to help Seifer. After all that had happened, he was beyond caring.

ooo ooo

Hardin paid no heed to the confused and frightened gazes of the several workers he encountered in the long hallways of the Presidential Palace. All it took was a growled order or the display of one of his squad's weapons to scare the curious away.

- "Seal the entire floor," - ordered the Counselor, - "This operation must be carried out quickly."

The soldier saluted, - "Yes, sir!"

Hardin glanced at the far end of the wide hallway where a pair of beautifully decorated doors stood. Just behind them, the President office and his future as ruler of Esthar awaited.

ooo ooo

Seifer took a step backwards, his hand covering his injured side. Blood flowed gently from the opened flesh, sipping through his fingers and dripping to the ground next to his boots.

He didn't have much time to stop and ponder about the gravity of his injury, as Hyperion rose to contain Squall's attack. The brunet hacked and stroke twice, thrice, trying to shatter his opponent's defense. Seifer summoned a wind blast, striking the Commander in the torso, the massive power of the concentrated attack forming a gash in Squall's abdomen.

Cursing under his breath, the brunet retracted and slashed in and Seifer raised his blade to parry a second time. The gunblades met again, singing in metal tones as either rival refused to give in. Squall stepped forward, anticipating Seifer's next move and smashed the weight of his body against the blond's chest before the Fire spell left the Knight's hand.

Seifer followed the attack's momentum and rolled along the crystal floor, managing to regain his footing in time to parry another massive cleave with the flat of Hyperion. Summoning his junctioned strength, the Knight forced his opponent back and spun away.

- "You've improved, Puberty Boy," - said Seifer grinning, - "But there's no way I'm going down that easy."

Dark, poisonous magic gradually formed a large ball of energy above the blond's hands, rays of green and yellow twisting and reflecting on the crystal walls. Squall tensed, recognizing the dangerous magic. With a smirk, Seifer released the Ultima, the flash of golden-green light was followed by a deafening rumble far worse than the mere crash of thunder that came with each lightning spell.

Bright, loud and chaotic, the enormous ball of raw energy broke around the lone figure clad in black leather. Eyes of stone and ice narrowed in concentration as he directed all of his Guardians' energy to the shield he'd summoned.

Just as the last rumble died down, Hyperion charged again. However, Revolver met Seifer's blade before the blond had thought. Flinching at first in surprise at his rival's speed, the Knight's stumbling blocks quickly gained a stronger edge, but once Squall managed to connect a solid kick to Seifer's supporting leg, the blond knew he was in deep shit.

The first strike was blocked, the second barely contained by pure luck, but the third landed home against Seifer's chest, piercing his shoulder and driving the young Knight back a step before Squall's index finger pulled Revolver's trigger.

With a growl, Seifer landed hard on his injured side, Hyperion crashing a fair distance from his master. Squall walked over, knocking the dark gunblade out of reach from his grounded rival. Resting the smoking Revolver on the Knight's heaving chest, cold eyes glared down at the cocky man.

Hate and the urge to kill filled Squall, freezing him in place momentarily as he debated whether he should end his rival's life there and then. They were both mercenaries, raised and trained to kill at a very young age. They killed to survive, they lived with the consequences of their acts. He could think of a hundred good reasons to finish the Knight off, but in the end, wouldn't that lower him to Seifer's level?

After a minute, Squall finally pulled his blade away, - "You're not worth another bullet."

Seifer smirked, a fine trail of blood leaking down the corner of his mouth, - "You crush my heart, Leonhart," - his body shivered in pain and jade eyes glazed over, - "You won this one too… nice… job," - he trailed off before his head tiredly fell to the side. Darkness enveloped Seifer and he knew no more.

ooo ooo

She felt renewed. The magic coursing through her veins sang powerfully once more, filling her entire body with the energy she'd lacked for far too long. The crystal walls surrounding her prison acted as mirrors of different heights and widths, each of them greeting her with her own reflection. She had always been an impressively frightening woman, but the eerie crimson glow of her eyes had never appeared as beautifully demonic as it was now. With a smile, large, powerful limbs stretched slowly, testing their mobility after 17 years of captivity.

The waves of energy reaching her from the other Sorceress had grown weaker through the past minutes, but Adel didn't care anymore about the kneeling girl in white now that she had enough power to finally leave her confinement.

She was not the one she wanted, for she did not hold the true power.

It was the Voice she craved. The raucous and equally malicious voice that ringed in her ears, promising revenge and life as eternal as time itself.

Pondering about the possibilities this tempting offering presented, she almost failed to perceive the door opening, but the powerfully dangerous aura of the young man entering the room caught her attention immediately. Crimson eyes settled on him, seizing his strength as he defiantly walked inside with a long, confident stride.

She didn't fail to notice the gunblade.

ooo ooo

- "Squall!" - Ellone called from her place against the wall, her voice faltering a little at the huge relief she felt at the sight of him. Blue-grey eyes turned to her in surprise, as though he hadn't noticed her presence in the first place.

Recovering quickly, Squall's gaze shifted between her and the girl in white. He seemed to debate with himself for a second, but whatever the argument was, ended as soon as the Sorceress' wings vanished in weak rays of light and the raven-haired girl fell hard to the side. Squall turned and ran towards the lying form, much to Ellone's surprise.

The room's temperature dropped several degrees and she shivered in her bonds, letting out a startled cry as a huge icicle suddenly materialized a couple of meters at her right. A woman of otherworldly beauty broke free from the ice and settled eyes as deep as an ocean on her.

It was the first time Ellone had ever seen a Guardian Force and she couldn't help but watch in silent awe and reverence at the ethereal creature who was worshiped as a Goddess in the childhood of humankind. Shiva frowned at the bonds that kept her fastened to the metallic surface and, noticing Ellone's gaze, smiled reassuringly for a fraction of a second before the icicle's shards gathered around her form and down her extended hand towards the magical bindings.

With barely a touch, Shiva broke the frozen bonds, setting Ellone free. The girl vowed her head slightly, gesture that was returned by the Ice Goddess before she transformed into fine mist.

- "Rosie!"

Ellone's eyes widened in horror as she turned to look at Squall. He was on his knees, reaching out to hold the girl in white. So _that_ was the 'Rosie' Squall had been talking about in the Lunar Base? She didn't know. She hadn't laid eyes on the girl back then, not even when she broke into the control room. Irvine had shielded Ellone with his body, keeping her out of the Sorceress' path of destruction and obstructing her view of the massacre that followed.

Her heart ached as she watched the prone girl raise a shaking hand to Squall's face and the way his eyes seemed to lit up by the simple gesture.

ooo ooo

Ana sighed in relief at the sight of her sister and her small squad as they reached the rendezvous point. The small brunette called her name cheerfully and they shared a quick, but tight, hug.

- "How did it go?" - asked Zell smiling at Thelma.

- "No prob! I just blew that thing to smithereens old school style!"

Baby blue eyes widened in surprise, - "Wait, you blew that big ass robot?" - she nodded proudly and he was mute for a couple of seconds before adding in all seriousness, - "It still only counts as one."

- "Wait, what?! It should count at least as five!"

- "No, it shouldn't. It was just one. "

Irvine grinned and put in his two cents, - "No, actually it should count as three. It had 2 armored pods, remember?"

- "Hey, guys," - called Quistis sternly, - "I hate to interrupt, but we still have work to do,"- the other SeeDs fell silent and nodded, following the already retreating blonde who then turned around and said, - "And Irvine is right, it counts as three."

ooo ooo

- "You came…" - she whispered as his hand closed around hers. He nodded and she couldn't help her smile. Her eyelids felt heavier than ever and she had to fight the drowsiness that threatened to snatch her from Squall's hold.

He muttered something Rosie couldn't understand, but the aura of magic around him shifted, announcing her he was summoning a powerful healing spell. Slowly, she felt the magic coursing through her tired body, trying to repair whatever damage Ultimecia had done.

- "Isn't that lovely?" - a cruel, mocking voice boomed through the chamber, making Squall's eyes narrow. Adel's huge frame stepped through the prison's now liquid surface, taking a deep breath once she was completely out, - "I had never savored the taste of freedom before, but I must say I find it intoxicating."

The Sorceress stood tall over the kneeling SeeD, like a tower of power time had failed to weather. She smiled, revealing sharp fangs that suited the malicious gesture. Eyes made of the darkest blood settled on Squall and the fallen girl; a thought that was not her own entered her mind.

Adel frowned at the invasive presence, annoyed at the impatience of the Voice. She'd spent a seeming eternity within that golden cage, surrounded by the absolute silence and darkness of the endless vacuum, trying in vain to have her existence known. Her messages seldom reached an unsuspecting witness, but more often than not, her words were dismissed as mere white noise.

Well, she was free once more and just as she'd promised in several of her messages, she would never let the world forget about Adel The Great. She would rise just as the Phoenix of legend, consuming her enemies in the implacable fires of hell.

The Voice's demands about taking the life of the young man could wait; she would have her fun first.

Crimson eyes glowed in the dim chamber's light and a clawed hand rose above her head as Adel summoned a spell meant to cause cruel, unfathomable pain to the target. It had been far too long since the last time she'd seen a worthless worm squirm for her amusement.

However, if Adel thought Squall had forgotten about her, she was severely mistaken.

Before the spell could descend upon the seemingly helpless victims, the SeeD called magic of his own. The powerful energy condensed and then was released in a bright, immeasurable wave of flame that enveloped Adel's towering form.

Flashes of red and gold brightened the room, while the echo of the raw power of the explosion reverberated through the walls. Squall gathered Rosie in his arms, summoning one of his Guardians as he stepped back, keeping a watchful eye on Adel. There was no way the Flare would cause any real, lasting damage on an aged and powerful Sorceress like her and he needed to buy some time to call in reinforcements.

A disturbing laugh muffled every other sound in the room as Adel rose both heavily muscled arms, gathering the Flare's energy and redirecting it above her head. Her previous spell seemed to seep into the new fireball, poisonous darkness tinting the flames black.

- "Imagine a worm using the power of wyrms! I'm impressed, lad," said the Sorceress with a smile that soon transformed into a threatening snarl, - "Alas, that stunt will only prolong the agonies of your demise."

Her preternatural senses detected the aura of powerful magic around him shift and she had to wonder how this low human managed to control spells way beyond the reach of regular soldiers. Her answer came a second later as a screech pierced her ears and she was suddenly surrounded by the cold, fluttering, dark forms of hundreds of bats.

The Voice within her mind grew in volume and she felt a sudden pull around her soul. Adel frowned as she fought the invasion, cursing under her breath Ultimecia's name. The pull became stronger and she lost her breath for a second, caught between the assault on her mind and the assault on her body. Diablos' claws and talons hungered for her flesh, drawing blood before the gashes closed on their own. She hadn't released the spell yet, her whole magical power focused on repelling the invisible attack on the core of herself.

The presence that revealed itself as 'Ultimecia' doubled her efforts and, for a horrifying second, Adel lost her grip. The venomous soul of the other Sorceress entered her body, spreading like a disease through her veins. Ultimecia's power mingled with her own and she had a taste of the incredible energy that awakened the overwhelming thirst for more.

All of a sudden, Adel's mad laughter increased in pitch as a bright crimson light seemingly out of nowhere enveloped her. Dark, bone-like, intricate wings spread from her back and she arched backwards in mirth as Diablos' sudden cries boomed through the chamber; the Guardian's body contorted in the agony of Adel's poisonous incantation.

Squall's eyes widened. He recognized the light enveloping Adel. He had seen it before, a lifetime ago in Galbadia Garden's auditorium when Ultimecia had passed her powers to Rosie.

A bright flash blinded him and Squall set his jaw, clutching Rosie tightly to his chest as he summoned the strongest protective shield he had available around them both. Ultimecia was transferring her powers unto Adel, which only meant that the countdown had finally come to an end and he had failed. Now there was no hope left, only whatever horrors Time Compression would bring.

ooo ooo

- "SEIFER!" - Fujin's voice broke as she covered the last meters towards the lying figure. A pool of blood had formed around the upper part of his body, smearing his golden, short hair with a sickening scarlet hue. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight and she immediately pressed a couple of fingers to his throat. Blessed relief flowed into her when the weak beating of his heart greeted back.

- "Holy shit! Is he dead?" - asked Thelma approaching her from behind.

- "NO," - barked back the albino, her tone making the normally fearless girl take a step back in surprise. Without further words, she started working on mending the Knight's multiple injuries. To her surprise, Selphie kneeled opposite of her and with a sympathetic smile at the blond's face, summoned her own healing spells to aid Fujin.

- "Squall sure did a number on him," - muttered Zell, looking at the hole Revolver's bullet had left in Seifer's shoulder. Very few times had the martial artist actually witnessed someone or something receiving that kind of injury and live to tell about it. He had to admit, the bastard was resistant.

A sudden flash of scarlet light out the corner of his eyes caught his attention and he turned to look at the doubled door down the hallway. His heart pounded fast and his gaze returned to Seifer. If Squall had fought the Knight here, then Adel wasn't far and if his hunch was correct, their friend was in trouble.

The hemorrhage contained, Zell wasted no more time and bent down to grab the trench coat's collar; paying no heed to Fujin's glare or Selphie's protests, he tossed Seifer on his shoulder, - "The hell, man! You gotta go on a diet!"- muttered the martial artist before turning to his friends and motioning with his chin at the door, "I think Squall is over there, let's hurry."

ooo ooo

Ultimecia gasped for breath, the glow of her golden eyes flickering as she fought to free herself from the union of souls. The Sorceress pried herself from the machine that allowed her to project her consciousness through time and fell ungraciously to the dark brick floor of the chamber. A clawed hand clutched her chest, drawing blood as long, sharp nails broke her pale skin. The pain helped her focus, grounding her mind and soul to the fragile body that was her own.

Finding the strength to stand from the undignified position on the floor, she let out an enraged scream as a golden energy lance left her palm, turning a nearby bookshelf to ashes.

She had been so close and Adel had to ruin it all!

The cursed witch even had the audacity of drawing her power! Had Ultimecia not been able to separate her soul from Adel's when she did, she could have been destroyed.

Another mistake, another miscalculation that almost lead to failure.

She had greatly underestimated Adel's hunger for power and Ultimecia hoped the other Sorceress' arrogance lead to her demise in those SeeDs' hands.

Her wishful thinking, however, would lead her nowhere at the moment. She turned to look at the machine, assessing the damage she might have caused in her desperate escape. Glowing tubes and crystal were scattered but nothing her scientists and engineers couldn't fix. Their lives depended on it and so far, very few had dared to let her down.

Alas, it would take a day, maybe two, before she could attempt to connect with whichever Sorceress ended up alive after the imminent battle. The SeeDs would certainly weaken Adel even if she ultimately turned out to be the victor and Ultimecia was certain she would be able to take over the other Sorceress this time. If Adel fell and the child Sorceress were to receive her powers, the pact that sealed them together would aid her endeavor greatly. And in the likely scenario of both, Adel _and_ the child perishing, their power would simply reach another receptacle.

The last thought made her smile.

ooo ooo

If there was a word to describe Squall's thoughts at the moment the brightness enveloping Adel dimmed and faded, it would have been 'confused'. There was no pain, no darkness, no cold. He'd expected them all, but they were still inside the Pandora and no apparent changes had been brought by Ultimecia's spell.

Crimson eyes settled on the SeeD as Adel cracked her neck loudly; the wings on her back stretched as far as they could go, casting irregular shadows over the smaller humans.

The fanged smile returned, - "Now that I've taken care of that intrusive witch, allow me to thank you for the charming welcoming," - The Sorceress didn't waste time in flamboyant gestures, she simply pointed and Squall was knocked off his feet by a blast of energy. The shield he had cast shimmered around him and Rosie and popped like a bubble. The raw power of magic burnt his skin and he called a healing spell to relieve the pain.

He got on his feet, assessed the situation quickly and whispering a 'sorry' to the girl in his arms, drew the Guardian still junctioned to her. A howl boomed through the room while blue light enveloped Diablos' form, efficiently dispelling Adel's magic. The Lord of Darkness snarled and stretched his blood-colored wings, ready to retaliate. The Sorceress didn't move, only turned her head to watch as Cerberus materialized from the shadows next to her.

Squall didn't waste more time. He dashed towards Ellone, placing a barrier around her as he ran just in case Adel managed to slip a spell towards them. Kicking open the door, he guided her down the corridor and was relieved to hear the several footsteps approaching.

- "Squall what-?

- "No time to explain," - he practically growled, interrupting Quistis' querry, - "Go!"

The SeeDs complied and were just boarding the elevator when Squall felt Diablos' battered presence forcefully return to his mind. They were reaching the wide hall where estharian and galbadian forces were still engaged in combat when the other Guardian joined in.

Suddenly, reverberant laughter echoed inside the hall. The crystal walls glowed with crimson light and cracked loudly, startling every single soul in the room. The northern wall exploded and to the horror of SeeDs, estharians and galbadians alike, Adel's muscular form glided into the chamber.

From then on, chaos ensued.

Screams, retreating footsteps and gunfire filled the room. The galbadians and some estharians had simply turned tail, too terrified by the Sorceress' impressive presence and legendary reputation to stay and hold their ground as the SeeDs and the rest of their allies' army did. Adel erected a shield around herself, sending huge blasts of energy as retaliation while laughing.

- "This is truly a charming welcoming!" - said the Sorceress with a chuckle, - "No better way than maiming and killing to get the blood flowing again."

ooo ooo

The com buzzed and the terrible sounds of battle filled the now empty War Room. The terrorized voice of a man rose above the gunfire, - "Adel! Adel is free! Inform President Laguna! She-"

Static replaced every other sound.

ooo ooo

Adel's eyes blazed with fury as her mind registered what the now dead man had practically shrieked into his transmitter. Her voice rose, deep and powerful as it was demanding, - "LAGUNA? That babbling clown who dared to imprison me is now the ruler of _MY_ country?!" - all the estharians present cringed as the Sorceress' body started to glow and the walls shook with her wrath, - "_I, _a Sorceress whose very nature places her far above regular human beings, have been replaced by a worthless, bubbling, nincompoop?! The paragon of foolishness?!"

It was simply outrageous.

Adel's expression darkened, - "I will tolerate this insult no further," - her hand shot forward and a huge blast of white energy obliterated everything in her path, creating a hole in the heavy armor of the Pandora. With inhuman speed, she flew through the chamber and vanished as soon as her body left the monolith's structure.

- "She's going after Sir Laguna!" - cried Selphie recovering from the shock of the events. Everything had happened so quickly, none of them had even moved after their initial blasts of magic and ammo were deflected or absorbed by the Sorceress' protective spell.

- "Matron and the junior classmen are in the Palace too!" - said Quistis in horror, her statement springing the SeeDs into action. Without a second thought, the initial assault group returned to the Ragnarok; Selphie vaulted over the pilot seat, igniting the motors and communication devices as quickly as she could. Squall started issuing orders through the radio, placing Xu once more in charge of the evacuation. Since most of the galbadians had either fled or were dead thanks to Adel's undiscriminating attacks, she would organize the SeeDs and estharians back into Garden and the war airships.

- "We have to regroup and assess the situation," - said the Commander frowning in thought. He hadn't been prepared for Adel's power level, even after fighting Ultimecia inside Edea's body twice already and couldn't help but wonder where the difference resided.

- "What should we do?" - asked Noah, helping the pale Ellone to one of the lateral seats in the cockpit, - "You saw her! She's unbelievably powerful."

- "First, we get Matron and the others out of there," - replied Squall, blue-grey eyes narrowing as he finally took a good glance at Zell's cargo. He noticed Fujin and Raijin standing behind his peers, the bronze man seemed injured and leaned heavily on the albino. His voice became colder, - "Zell, lock Seifer inside the hangar under the stairs; the least I need is for him to wake up and break havoc again."

Irvine and Thelma offered to accompany the martial artist and the three left the cockpit, silently followed by Fujin and Raijin. Squall had expected as much.

- "What happened?" - asked Ana, motioning towards the Pandora's retreating frame.

- "I think Adel repelled Ultimecia somehow," - Squall frowned in thought and remained silent for almost a minute, trying to make sense of the events, - "She said she'd taken care of the 'intrusive witch'. I can only guess Ultimecia was trying to control her as she did with Matron and Rosie… but she couldn't."

- "Odine warned us this could happen," - reminded Quistis, - "He must know why, after all, he knows Adel better than anyone else in the planet."

- "Another reason to get his ass out of there before she arrives,"- said Noah, leaning against the wall behind the Trabian Headmistress. His normally calm face betrayed his worry and he shifted his attention between the SeeDs and Ellone, - "What about the plan?"

Squall frowned, - "Ultimecia is not inside Adel. She can't cast Time Compression yet."

- "I know that. What I want to know is what the next step is," - the White SeeD Captain folded his arms, - "Do we face Adel right now and have your friend receive her powers or do we wait?"

- "We can't really wait," - interjected Ana shaking her head, - "Who knows what will happen if Ultimecia tries to possess Adel again?"

The SeeDs remained silent, allowing their Commander to take everything in. His eyes settled on Rosie's face, watching her steady breathing and fluttering eyes as she tried her best to remain awake. She hadn't uttered a single word since he found her on that damned chamber, but at least his magic seemed to have worked since she didn't look as pale as she was then. She was slowly recovering and he wanted to keep her that way for as long as possible.

- "Selphie, how long until Esthar?" asked Squall, shifting the weight in his arms.

- "Twenty minutes tops."

- "Radio me when we're five minutes away," - said the Commander to Quistis, who smiled back and nodded. He turned around and walked towards the small lift, - "Prepare your junctions and Guardians, we'll need all the power we have available to get our people out of there."

ooo ooo

The hissing sound of the door as it closed was music to his ears.

The sounds coming from the hallway were lost inside the room and Squall sighed inaudibly, finally able to catch a breath after all the previous events. Rosie moved ever so slightly in his arms, making his thoughts leave the rest of the crew on board the Ragnarok and settle solely on her.

Moving slowly towards the bed, the Commander couldn't help the brief memory of the last time he was in this room and the magical dagger that had stalked him in the dark. Setting his cargo gently on the mattress, Squall was stunned when the arms around his shoulders didn't release their grip and he was forced to sit on the bed to avoid falling over the girl, - "Rosie?"

The arms around him tightened a little more, making him silently worry about her strange actions. Placing a hand on her back, Squall watched as she finally untangled from his body, sliding her hands to rest them on his shoulders. Given the previous events, he'd believed her unconscious or ever too tired to even move, let alone clutch the white fur of his jacket's collar with such force that her knuckles turned white. Confused, blue-grey eyes focused on her face.

- "Squall... please..." - Rosie's tired voice cracked and tears slowly coursed down her cheeks, - "_please_ ... forgive me."

When the brunet didn't move nor speak, she closed her eyes and continued her whispered plea, - "I'm so sorry... I just made matters worse. I swear I didn't mean to get in trouble."

- "Yet, trouble always seems to find you."

Despite the lack of resentment in his voice, the bitter truth of his words made her cringe. She simply seemed unable to do something without ending on the wrong side of the sword; surely Squall had finally realized he had better things to do with his time than playing the proverbial 'knight in shining armor'. After all, who in their right mind would want to save a Sorceress? Especially once that was inexperienced and therefore, dangerous as herself?

Her powers were so frightening, so overwhelming, she trembled just to think about it. She'd been so wrong on so many things regarding this world! Nothing was as simple as she had once thought, time and experience had taught her that much. Once she'd believed battles were easy, but only because she was sitting behind a controller where no harm would come to her; now she knew that messing around with a Bite Bug without being prepared could be lethal.

Most importantly, she'd once thought that Sorcery was cool. Who didn't want to have the power to shape time itself the way they wanted it to be? Rosie had to admit that still now she found herself a little thrilled about the idea of holding such strength, but just thinking about the price she had to pay quickly made it lose the appeal.

She didn't want Ultimecia to control her body anymore. When she junctioned a GF for the first time, she had trouble getting used to the invasive presence within her mind. However, the seldom lack of mental privacy was nothing compared to what the elder Sorceress had done to her. Rosie shuddered at the onslaught of images the very name evoked, most of them featuring a tortured and bloodied Squall, dismembered in gory detail for her eyes to 'enjoy'. His comforting words meant nothing when she could hear his flesh being torn apart in the background. Her fists closed around the Commander's furred collar as she resisted the enraged tears that threatened to fall. Aside from the deep love she held for Squall, Rosie had never felt anything as powerful as the hate that consumed her whole being at that moment.

She _loathed_ Ultimecia for harming what she considered untouchable.

Her train of thought was abruptly interrupted by warm leather pressing softly against her skin. Opening eyes she hadn't even noticed were closed, all the murderous thoughts fell to the back of her mind when she realized Squall's gloved hands were cradling her face. The simple contact sent shivers down her spine, firing up the flame burning in her heart, melting away all her worries, her sorrow and fear. Rosie couldn't help but smile at the fact that only Squall was capable of producing this effect on her with barely a look, a single touch or a silent smile.

Lost within the depths of his entrancing eyes, she debated whether to finally voice her feelings out loud. Though it was no secret – at least, among their group of friends – she wondered if Squall had any notion of just how much she really loved him.

However, the chance to find out was snatched away when the brunet leaned down slowly and gently rested his forehead against hers. The contrast of his warm skin against hers made Rosie realize she had to be freezing to the touch. She didn't feel cold though, in fact, her face had a healthy scarlet blush at the moment thanks to his actions. She wondered if he was able to hear the furious beat of her heart but such thoughts were silenced by Squall's sigh of relief.

Rosie had never dreamt that the sound of a single breath could take hers away.

Was he relievedthat she was alive or that they were together again? In the end, she decided it didn't matter… whatever the reason was, her soul was already flying high.

Looking directly into his eyes once more, she couldn't help but wonder how she had ever become worthy of something as beautiful as he was. Squall was everything she had wished for and more and Rosie was afraid this was just too good to be true. She had never been the type one would call lucky and was terrified that the only strike of good fortune she'd ever had in her entire life was no more than a vivid dream she would have to wake up from eventually.

Slowly, tears trailed down her cheeks at the mere thought of leaving Squall again. In the brief months they had been together, the scenario of him ending up with Rinoa or dead due to the stupid things she had done to change some events, had crossed her mind several times and she always ended up chilled and nauseated for hours.

And just a couple of days ago, she had almost lost him for good.

Her stomach clenched further when she thought about the terrible plague she'd unleashed upon the world in order to keep Squall safe. Not only was Ultimecia still alive but, as far as she knew, the witch had her desired vessel now. And it was all her fault.

Tears threatened to fall again, this time not in rage, but guilt. An absolute, soul-consuming feeling that was further fueled when Squall moved away so he could look at her face. Truth be told, she had thought she made quite a good decision when choosing to aid Ultimecia reach Adel. At the time, it seemed the best option. But now, confronted by Squall's gaze, she realized that _he_ could have come up with something else. If only she had bought enough time to let him regain consciousness, none of this would have happened.

He would have found a way. He always did.

Alas, she had been all alone, trembling in fear at the possibility of Ultimecia harming her beloved Commander. It was that fear that had clouded whatever rationale she had left. Rosie would be the first to admit thinking before acting had never been her forte and the love she felt for Squall only led her to make stupid choices.

- "I-I'm so sorry. I'm really so–"

A gloved thumb pressed against her lips, silencing her apology. For a second, she thought Squall was too disgusted with her words to let her finish, but that idea vanished quickly as a very small but fond smile lit his otherwise solemn features, - "Silly."

She breathed a laugh at the annoyed tone, feeling a huge weight lift off of her heart at his actions. He wasn't mad at her and she could find some peace within that knowledge. Right now, it was enough.

- "You did what you had to. Don't apologize."

He knew how she was feeling right now and considered himself as guilty as she could be regarding Adel's escape. After all, he had chosen Rosie's life over the sake of the world. His other hand took hers and his eyes narrowed when he detected the dark brand on her skin. Rosie bit her lip nervously; she felt an explanation was in order, but right now she didn't feel like providing it. She would not taint this moment by bringing up Ultimecia.

Sliding her hand off his grasp and cradling it against her chest with the other, she shook her head and pleaded a low 'Later, I promise.' Squall's dark expression didn't falter, but he decided to humor her. They both knew it would be too hypocritical of him to ask Rosie if she wanted to talk about it.

Her stiff pose relaxed as their shared silence continued and very soon her breaths deepened as the exhaustion returned, making her eyelids flutter close. However, instead of losing herself into merciful slumber, she was greeted by Ultimecia's image at the very moment darkness replaced Squall's face.

Startled, Rosie jolted awake.

Remembering the previous events and figuring she was keeping herself from needed sleep due to his presence, the brunet frowned and pulled away, - "You need to rest."

Recognizing the cue for his departure and afraid of being left alone with the demons in her mind, Rosie reached out, taking his hands in a tight grip, - "Squall, please, don't leave me." - Stunned by her plea, he could only gaze at her as she fumbled around for an explanation, - "I… I just don't want to sleep…" - Rosie bit her lip and lowered her eyes as the blush on her face intensified, - "It's dark and I… I-I'm scared..."

She wanted to kick herself. God! She sounded like a 5 year-old!

It was so ridiculous and embarrassing to be afraid of the dark!

But that was how she felt. Unlike other people, she had seen the monster dwelling within, had heard the raucous voice that would haunt the minds of generations to come and, most likely, her dreams for the rest of her life. Furthermore, she'd felt the pull of the other Sorceress' dark soul; the way it tore at her own, trying to destroy the very core of her existence. Certainly the worst had been when the last portions of her energy had been passed onto Adel. At that moment, Rosie had sworn for a second that her soul would escape her body as well, leaving only an empty shell behind. The memory made her tremble.

Squall's frown deepened as he searched Rosie's face, finally focusing on her downcast eyes. The haunted look he found in the brown depths told him what she had just admitted was quite the understatement. She was not only scared, she was _terrified_.

He knew being afraid of the dark was silly and childish, but he couldn't bring himself to belittle Rosie's fears like that. Especially since he didn't know what kind of tortures she'd suffered under Ultimecia's hand. Edea had said the witch was a master of illusions and, given the raven-haired girl's frame of mind, he could think of several possible punishments that would elicit such a reaction.

Returning the nearly bruising hold, Squall offered the only support he could give her until his gunblade made certain Ultimecia breathed no more, - "I'll be here."

The familiar words spoken in a low voice made Rosie's gaze lift and lock with his. Finding no mockery within his expression, the death grip she kept on his hands softened a little. Squall's eyes lit with unnamed emotions as he looked down at the young Sorceress' face, - "I'll be here when you wake up."

Her heartbeats grew louder at the familiar, yet entirely different, oath. Though he'd used almost the same wording as in the original plot, the lowly spoken promise was meant for no one else but her to hear. Smiling faintly at the last thought, she was struck suddenly by guilt. He surely had more important things to do than playing babysitter, especially now that Adel was free of her Tomb. Still, she couldn't find the strength to reject the offer.

When it came down to Squall, Rosie had to admit she was very selfish. And the prospect of spending time with him, _alone_ and with a bed involved was way too tempting to refuse.

- "Promise?"

He nodded and squeezed her hands in a reassuring manner, - "Lay down."

Rosie complied, raising an eyebrow in questioning as he stood from his position on the bed and nodded at the other side of the mattress. Confusion turned to joy and embarrassment as Squall sighed in mock exasperation and grumbled a low, - "Move over, you're taking more than half of the bed." - Blushing and smiling widely, she shifted her body so that the Commander had enough room to settle down beside her. Pulling the sheets so that they covered her body, Squall then set his gunblade aside and laid on top of the blankets.

Deciding to push her luck a little, Rosie moved closer to him and was surprised when his arms wrapped around her in a testing maneuver. When she didn't object, Squall tightened his hold slightly and rested his chin on top of her head.

Smiling like a fool, she breathed in his characteristic scent: a mix of gunpowder, mint and hot leather, now tainted with the addition of the disturbing smell of dried blood. Resting against his chest, Rosie wondered how her mind had already decided that _this_ was how angels ought to smell. And right now, basking in the warmth of his arms, with his heart singing into her ear the most beautiful lullaby Rosie had ever heard, she couldn't help but feel like she was finally in Heaven.

- "Close your eyes, Rosie."

Her smile widened briefly and her eyelids descended, though this time she didn't fight the darkness. Instead, the raven-haired girl surrendered to the pull of unconsciousness, confident that Squall would be there to guard her dreams.

ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo

Author's Note:

I know it's been a while… what an understatement, uh? But the Muse of Inspiration decided to finally knock on my door. I guess she also read all the most amazing and encouraging reviews that have been submitted since I last updated and was ashamed of not having graced me for at least two years. As I have stated before, my day-to-day life has this way of getting on my nerves by spoiling whatever plans I have regarding my works of fiction. I'm already starting the next chapter and I really want to have this fic done by the end of the year.

I want to thank all of you who keep track of this story, even though I don't update it as often as I wished. I love you all and I'm deeply grateful for your devotion and for taking the time to read and comment on my ramblings :)

This story and my heart is for you.


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